For Love of a Pet
by Child of the Ancients
Summary: A new demon named Loki is on the loose, and he wants only one thing... and he'll do anything to get it. Including kill a spirit detective.
1. Chapter One

AN: For those of you who have read any of the "Time" series, forget it all. This story is in not connected to them. I'm just using my old characters again; however, not all facts about them have been kept constant from the "Time" stories to this one.

  


For Love of a "Pet" 

Chapter One

  


Kurama glared at his opponent that stood across the battle field from him, thorn whip in hand. With one hand he clutched at his stomach wound, trying to slow the bleeding and fight back the pain. He quickly assessed his situation, and he came up with only one conclusion--things were bad. There wasn't much else to say about it.

The redhead was alone and wounded, most definitely not a good combination. Normally, he would have had his friends to back him up, but he did not have them at the moment. The evil demon had surprised him, getting in a few hits before he had even been able to react. One of his wrists was broken, and he had a good guess that he had broken one of his legs as well.

"What's wrong, kitsune?" the demon taunted, slinking a little closer, pure black eyes very bright. His acidic-green skin rippled with muscles as he stretched to his full ten-foot height. "Are you having problems?" He chuckled, immensely enjoying himself.

_'It would be nice if Hiei, Yusuke, or even Kuwabara were here,' _ he thought wistfully, keeping his green eyes on the enemy.

"Awww... you're thinking about your little friends." The creature chuckled evilly, a disgusting sound that sent shivers down the kitsune's spine. "Sorry, but I don't believe the other spirit detectives will get here soon enough to save your pathetic hide."

_'He can read my mind...' _ Kurama stared for a moment, completely shocked. He had known that Hiei could read minds, but he had never met another demon who could. Things were beginning to go from bad to worse.

Enjoying himself, the demon switched his sword to another hand. When it came to sword fighting, he could fight equally well with each of his four arms. "Of course I can read your mind, kitsune," he informed the redhead. "I love reading my victims' minds. It makes killing them so interesting, since I know what they are thinking the instant before death claims them." He paused for a moment, a sadistic smile on his face. "And no one can hold in a mental scream... not even you."

Kurama quickly decided that he did not like the look on the other's face. Things were quickly going to become very ugly. Most likely, when that finally happened, he would be dead. That wasn't exactly a pleasant thought.

Doing some quick thinking, the kitsune raised up as much of his depleted power as he could, sending most of it into all the plants around him. Vines, tree limbs, and every bit of plant life available wrapped around the enemy demon, rendering him motionless for a few moments.

Seeing his chance, Kurama began to run as fast as he could. He couldn't fight the demon, not in the state he was in. He would, without a doubt, lose if he tried to fight.

His spirit energy swirled around him, obviously trying to do something. Whatever it was, it was probably for his benefit, so he gave his power free reign.

His spirit energy coursed through him, twisted around his form as he continued to run. He felt his bones shift inside of him as be began to shrink.

Suddenly, he knew what his power was doing. It was changing him back into his oldest form --his fox form. It had been years since he had been is his fox spirit form. He much preferred his demon form over it; however, if it was his only choice...

Moments later, he was a small, silver fox running from a great big demon.

_'This is not good,' _ Kurama mused unhappily. _ 'He may not be able to sense my power, but if he finds me, then I will die much more quickly.'_

"Trying to run?" a voice inquired, sounding very amused. "You pathetic fool." A balled fist came out of nowhere, knocking him into a tree.

The fox tried to stand, but his frail body had taken too much of a beating. Another one of his legs felt broken, as did a few of his ribs. That, combined with his injuries from earlier, sent waves of pain rolling through him. He laid perfectly still on the ground, completely helpless.

"Perhaps I should cut open your skull and see your brain. I might understand your thinking better then." With a cruel smile on his face, the demon walked closer and knelt next to his fallen prey. He positioned his sword so that the blade was pointed at the center of the fox's skull. "I'll tell your friends good-bye for you." Then, he began to slowly cut down.

All of a sudden, the demon drew away, leaving Kurama hurt but alive. "But, Mistress, he is almost dead. I have him at my mercy." The demon stared up at the sky as he continued to talk to a voice that the fox demon could not hear. "As you wish, Mistress. I will return immediately."

Then, the demon was gone, leaving no trace. Surprised beyond belief, Kurama just laid there, unable to move. The pain was horrendous, and he wasn't even in his human form. Things were not looking up.

_'Help...' _ was all he could think of before the blissful world of unconsciousness overtook him and sent his mind into utter darkness.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Kaline was washing dishes, strands of her long golden brown hair falling out of her braid and into her blue-gray eyes. Her simple light-blue t-shirt clung to her as she moved, and her flared jeans brushed across the tile floor, hiding her bare feet. Simple silver hoops adorned her ears, and a single silver band embedded with a small, fake sapphire sparkled on her right index finger.

She hummed softly to herself, content with her life. Things were good. She had her own house, a job, and good friends. Her guardian, Salova, was very proud of her, and Kaline could think of no better reward.

Salova was her only family, but she had been enough for the blue-eyed girl. She was very supportive and an excellent role model. Kaline was thrilled that she had lived up to her guardian's expectations.

The doorbell suddenly rang, the sound jolting her out of her thoughts and making her jump. Silently laughing at herself, Kaline dried off her hands and went to the door. When she opened it, she saw exactly who she had been expecting.

A girl stood there, her shoulder-length dark-brown hair framing her face and highlighting her blue-green eyes. She was a good two or three inches shorter than Kaline's five foot two, and she had on jeans and a t- shirt.

"Hey, Kaline," Cassie said, re-arranging her grip on a large, cardboard box. The lid on the container had holes, and someone had even poked openings in the sides. "I've got something for you."

"C'mon in," she told her visitor, opening the door wider. "And what do we have today? Another injured kitty?"

Both girls worked for an animal rescue organization, MARS or the Mistreated Animal Rescue Society, a organization that many of the major zoos had jointly established. Employees of MARS toured small zoos and other animal owners' homes; and if they found any badly treated animals, then they would take the animals away. Cassie was part of the search and rescue team, while Kaline helped heal and care for most of the injured animals that were discovered.

However, there was one thing that Kaline did not know about her friend--Cassie was a water demon.

"Nope," Cassie answered. "We've got something a little more rare."

Her level of curiosity sky-rocketing, Kaline gestured for her friend to set the box on the living room coffee table. "So... what is it?" She gazed at the box, her golden brown hair still trying to work its way out of the constraining braid she had it in as she moved around.

The brunette smiled. "A male silver fox." She set the cardboard container down and removed the lid, revealing a very injured creature sleeping on a fleece blanket. Bandages had been wound around the fox's stomach and three of his four legs. A large section of beautiful silver fur on his skull had been shaved away, obviously to make room for the stitches he had received. A battered silver tail was curled around the animal's feet, and the tip of it twitched every few seconds as he continued to rest.

"Awww... the poor kitsune," Kaline said sympathetically, her blue-gray eyes holding a soft expression for the animal. She watched the fox's ears twitch as he tried to move his head, its eyes slowly opening. "Shhhhhh, little one. It's all right. You just rest. I promise that I'll take good care of you." The fox settled back down and closed his eyes, much to Kaline's satisfaction.

Cassie nodded her head in agreement. "I know that you will." She set the lid back on the box. "I understand that you already know what to do, but I have a few things to tell you."

"Okay." Kaline sat down in one of her chairs, her eyes on the box.

"Someone found the fox on a trail in the state park," she told her friend, frowning. "We believe that someone abused him and then dumped him. Right now he's too hurt to fight, but he'll probably be nervous around you once he gets better."

"That's common for animals that have been abused." She sighed. "Poor kitsune. It'll take him a while to heal... if he even survives. With that head wound, it's likely that he's suffered from a concussion."

Sitting down on the couch, Cassie reached out and patted her friend's hand. "I'm sure that he'll be fine," she assured her friend. "MARS sends all of its hopeless cases to you for a reason. You seem to have this uncanny knack for turning out fully healed and completely happy animals, no matter how injured the animals are when they arrive at your house."

"His bandages will have to be changed daily, and I'll have to keep him inside until I'm sure he can defend himself," Kaline mumbled to herself, her eyes unfocused. "I'm gonna hafta constantly watch the kitsune too."

"Why do you keep calling him a kitsune?" Cassie asked her, curious. Her friend did not know about demons, and the fox appeared to be normal, so she was lost as to why her friend chose to call the animal that.

"It means 'fox demon' in Japanese, and I have a feeling that's what he'll turn out to be," she explained, giggling. "He's going to be a handful, I'm almost sure of it."

"If you say so," the visiting girl responded. "You're the one with the strange connection to the animals." _'Her connection is because of her magic, even though she doesn't know it, and it's not all that strange,' _ she mentally added.

Kaline shook her head. "It's not really a connection. It's more of an... understanding. The animals seem to know that I don't wanna hurt them... that I wanna help."

"Call it whatever you want; they still react better to you than anyone else." Cassie crossed her legs as she glanced at the box. "With the exception of this little guy, we've had to sedate every animal we've gotten our hands on. They always try to scratch us up or something."

"And you think that they don't do that to me?" Kaline pushed back one of her shirt sleeves to reveal a small scar. "The last bobcat you brought to me decided to try and take off my arm."

Cassie shrugged. "They still act nicer around you than anyone else. That bobcat tried to kill one of its rescuers. It obviously didn't try to kill you."

"So she thought it would be better to remove one of my arms. Yippee. I feel so much better now," the lighter-haired girl commented sarcastically, putting her shirt sleeve back down. "Oh, that reminds me, how's she doing? Didn't you and some of the others take her to a nearby zoo?"

"Yeah. She's doing fine," she told her friend. "And the wolf that you just finished taking care of is doing okay as well."

"That's good to hear," Kaline replied, smiling. It was nice to know that the animals that she had taken care of had survived.

Cassie returned the happy expression. "Well, I hate to say it, but I have to go. I have a few more animals to drop off. The lynx is going to a zoo, and the puppy is going to a friend's house. I've already released the hawk into the wild."

"Should I check up on the hawk in a week or so then?"

The visiting girl shrugged. "It's up to you. I was planning on doing it, but if you want to..." Shrugging again, she stood up. "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Sure thing. I'll be home for the rest of the day." Kaline walked with her friend to the door. "Take care, Cassie."

"I will," she promised. "And you be careful with your new invalid. Here are his painkillers. Give him one every morning." She placed a large bottle in her friend's hands.

"I will, and don't you worry. In a few weeks time, the kitsune will be as good as new," the fair brunette promised.

The two girls said one final good-bye, and then Cassie left. 

Once her friend was gone, Kaline put away the medicine, went back to the living room and opened the box back up. She studied the fox for a few moments, and then she gently ran her fingers over his wounds, checking how bad they were. She was very careful not to hurt him any more than he already was.

"Hmmm... your legs and ribs are broken. The gash on your head isn't too deep though. You also seem to have a bad cut on your stomach," she told the fox, although she was really thinking out loud. She had learned that the animals usually reacted positively when she spoke softly to them. "Possible internal bleeding and concussion. Not good. I'd give you two months to heal, maybe three. You're in pretty bad shape, kitsune."

The fox opened one of his eyes and stared at her, the expression on his face strangely trusting. It was almost like he knew that she was there to help him.

"Who hurt you?" she asked him, knowing that she wouldn't get an answer. She just enjoyed talking to animals. "Whoever did should be put in prison." She sighed sadly, giving the fox another sympathetic look. "I do wish that you could point out who did this to you. They hurt you so badly that I'm surprised you're even alive."

Kaline carefully picked up the box and carried it into the kitchen. She set it down on the counter near the sink so she could keep an eye on it, and then she went back to washing dishes.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Kurama stared up at the ceiling for a moment, and then he closed his eyes. He was laying on a blanket in a cardboard box while some girl washed dishes.

_'Kaline,' _he thought. _ 'Her name's Kaline, and she's trying to help me.' _ He would have chuckled if he had been in his human or demon form. His body had become so weak and so tired that he had reverted back to his oldest form --a fox. His human form was the newest body he had, and his demon form was the strongest. He had started out his life as a fox spirit, but he had slowly acquired the powers of a demon as the centuries had passed.

_'She is a strange girl,'_ Kurama mused, his silver tail twitching a little. _'She calls me a kitsune, but does she even know that what she's saying is the truth?'_ He tried to move so he could look at her again, but he only caused himself pain. Fortunately, it hurt less than the last time he had tried to move.

_'Kaline seems to have some kind of healing ability. When she was touching me, I could sense some type of power.' _ He took a deep breath through his nose, but his brain was too tired to figure out anything despite the fact that she smelled like roses, vanilla, and sunshine. The vanilla was the smell of her soap, but the roses and sunshine seemed to be part of her natural scent. _'I can't tell if she's a demon or not. She appears to be human.'_

His thoughts were quickly interrupted by a pretty face. "Hey, kitsune," she said, looking down at him. "I finally thought up a name for you."

_'Whatever she is, my demon instincts say that she is my soul mate; and I am inclined to agree with them. Love at first sight definitely applies here.'_

Kurama watched her through one eye, curious. She was unusual, there was no doubt about that, but she seemed to be innocent as well. She acted too cheery not to be.

"I was considering calling you Youko, since I think that it means fox," Kaline stated, smiling. "But I believe that Zorro will be better. That's fox in Spanish. Wha'd'ya think? Do you like the name Zorro?"

He mentally laughed as he closed his eye. _ 'She almost named me Youko. How funny, especially since that is what some people once called me.'_

"Okay, so not Zorro." She had taken his actions as a negative answer. "Will Youko be better then?"

Kurama opened his eyes and met her gaze, blinking only once. She giggled. "Youko it is then." She paused for a moment before she continued. "Well, Youko, I'm done with the dishes, so let's change those bandages."

A minute later, the fox found himself being very gently picked up. He marveled at how all the pain was immediately dulled as she handled him. Even when she unwrapped all of his bandages, he felt no discomfort. He was amazed, but he chalked it all up to her having some kind of power.

_'It's official,' _ Kurama thought as Kaline smoothed some kind of balm on his wounds. _ 'She's not a normal human being. What is she though? Why can she heal?' _ He could feel all of his injuries slowly beginning to close as she continued to touch him.

"You're being very good for me, Youko," Kaline said sweetly as she covered his wounds with layers of gauze. "Thank you." She lightly rubbed the tip of her nose against his, smiling. "I appreciate you not biting my hand off." She set him back down in the box, and instantly all of his aches and pains returned. It did not hurt as bad as before, but he still did not feel good.

The silver fox looked up at his nurse, hoping that she would pick him back up. _'I need to heal as quickly as possible. Yusuke and the others will need my help soon. The demon that I lost to is most likely causing problems. I cannot let my friends face this enemy on their own.'_

The young woman noticed how pleadingly the creature gazed at her, and she frowned. "What's wrong, little one? Are you hungry or something?" She reached down and lifted him into her arms. "Pobre Youko. Let's go get you some food. I believe that foxes like chicken..."

She carried him into the kitchen, his body cradled in one of her arms like a baby. He didn't protest the position, even though he should have. Any animal would have fought to keep from exposing the soft, vulnerable belly.

"You must have been someone's pet, Youko. You're too tame not to have been," Kaline stated, glancing down at her small charge. "That, or I was right about you being a kitsune." She laughed briefly at that statement, a beautiful sound that filled up the room and made the air quiver. "But I know that can't be true. Demons don't exist... unless you count Derek, the jerk down the street." Her laughter returned when she said that; she had obviously been joking.

Still giggling, she pulled some fried chicken out of the fridge one-handed and popped it into the microwave. She continued to talk to the fox in her arms as the food cooked, her voice fluctuating pleasantly.

When the machine beeped, she took the chicken out and set it down on the table. Then, she sat down, placing the fox in her lap. "Well, Youko, I hope that you do like chicken." Kaline used her fingers to pull a small piece of meat off. "Open up," she prompted, putting the food in front of his face.

Kurama paused for a moment, then he tentatively took the meat from her fingers, making sure not to bite her in the process. Hey, if she was going to hand-feed him, then he wasn't going to argue. He was healing and being food at the same time, which was a very good thing in his mind. He particularly liked receiving the food because he was starving.

"Yep. Definitely a pet. You even know how to take food from a person without biting off an appendage," Kaline commented, giving him another piece of chicken. "Good for me, bad for you and whoever tamed you. When I get a hold of them, they're dead meat. Wild animals are not supposed to be made into pets. I'll never be able to release you into the wild. You'll hafta go to a zoo, and maybe not even that. I don't think you're wild enough to last in a zoo, at least with other foxes."

She paused for a moment, totally freezing. She stared off into the distance and didn't move until the fox nudged her hand with his nose.

"I'm kinda like those people who tamed you. I treat all the animals I help heal like pets. Well, I treat them as much like a pet as I can," Kaline told Youko. "I played fetch with the wolf a month ago. I had the bobcat chasing a string, too." She chuckled nervously. "They do go back to normal once they leave my presence though, so I guess that I shouldn't worry too much about it."

She went back to feeding her charge, actually staying silent. Her mind was busy thinking about things, and she was beginning to feel tired. She yawned suddenly.

"Geez, you'd think I'd be used to this by now," she said to herself. "Every time I get a new injured animal to take care of, I become exhausted. I don't have a clue why." She yawned again as she fed the fox the last of the chicken. "What do you think, Youko? Do ya think that maybe my body just likes to mess around with me?" She giggled. "C'mon, little one. Let's go to bed. I'm tired, and you must be too. After all, you need plenty of sleep if you're gonna heal quickly."

Being as gentle as possible, Kaline carried the silver fox into the living room and put him back into his box. Then, she picked up the cardboard container and carried it into her bedroom. She set him down on the floor near the foot of her bed.

Humming softly, she went over to her dresser and pulled out a large t-shirt and pajama pants. Tossing her pjs on the bed, she began to strip, still humming. She pulled on her night pants, pausing for a second. 

"I wonder if the room's warm enough," she mused quietly. In only her pajama pants and bra she knelt down beside the cardboard box and looked at the small creature. "You comfortable, Youko? Should I turn up the temp?"

Kurama opened one of his eyes and then quickly shut it once again. _'Dear Kami!' _ he thought, shocked. _'Does this girl have no modesty?' _ Keeping his eyes tightly closed, his mind did a double-take. _ 'Oh, wait a minute. She thinks that I'm a fox. Of course she sees nothing wrong with going shirtless around an animal.'_

"Are you okay?" Kaline asked, sounding worried. "C'mon, open your eyes." The fox did open his eyes, his gaze locking with hers and not leaving. "Good, Youko." She patted him lightly on the head, making sure to avoid his wound. "You aren't shivering or anything, so I'm gonna assume that you're warm enough."

Smiling again, she pulled on her night shirt and shut off her bedroom light. "G'night, Youko."

Kurama curled up in a ball, his tail wrapped around him. _ 'Good night, Kaline.' _ Then, he fell asleep.

  
  


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CotA: Okay, a couple of quick notes. This takes place a couple of years after the dark tournament. Kurama is 23 and living on his own in an apartment. He's going to college and majoring in botany. He still checks in on his mom every so often; and, if you hadn't noticed, he is still a spirit detective. Yusuke and Kuwabara have graduated from high school as well, and Yusuke is trying for a criminal justice degree. Kuwabara wants to become a vet, and Hiei is... well, he's doing what he usually does. ^_^ '

Also, this story is only partially finished. Bits and pieces from the beginning, middle, and end have already been written out, but there are quite a few gaping holes. I'm not sure how long it'll take me to finish this story, but I'm assuming that it will take a while.

Oh, and take heed of the rating. **This story is "R" for a reason. **** The reason may not be clear at this moment, but it will be eventually. **


	2. Chapter Two

AN: Okay, someone asked if everyone lived in the same dimension. The answer: Yes. They all live in Ningenkai. 

  


For Love of a "Pet"

Chapter Two

  


Kaline awoke to the ringing of the telephone. Groping around with her eyes still closed, she picked the bedside phone up off of its receiver. Holding it up to her ear, she forced herself to wake up a little bit more.

"Hello?" she said groggily, silently cursing whoever had decided to call her. She was not a fan of being woken up out of a dead sleep. It usually made her grumpy.

~Hey, did I wake you?~ a familiar voice asked from the other end. ~I'm sorry if I did.~

"Don't worry about it, Cassie," Kaline responded, literally rolling out of bed and onto the floor. "What time is it?"

~Eight p.m.~ Cassie responded after a few seconds.

"Yippee. Two hours of sleep." The taller girl sighed, forcing herself to sit up, leaning her back against the side of the bed.

~Hey, I said I was sorry. I just wanted to tell you that I conned Anthony into checking on the hawk so you don't have to worry about it. Besides, he's more into birds than either of us are.~

"Yeah, I understand. I just do mammals." Kaline yawned, her eyes beginning to flutter shut before she forced them open.

~I still don't understand why you're not a vet,~ Cassie commented. ~You'd be great at it.~

"I find the unusual animals a little more interesting than the pets," Kaline informed her friend. "Besides, people tend to pay more for paintings of wild animals than they do for ones of pets. They seem to think that the wild animals are cooler."

In addition to taking care of animals, she painted pictures. Most of the time the paintings were of her charges, but some times they were not. She loved art, but she painted mainly for the extra bit of money she received for it. No one in MARS was paid a whole lot, so many of them had side jobs. Kaline just had a side job that allowed her to stay home all day with the injured animals.

~Okay... Well, how's your little charge doing?~ she asked.

The blue-gray eyed girl crawled closer to the box and looked down in it. "Youko's still asleep, thank goodness. He needs his rest."

~Youko? Is that what you named him?~ Cassie's tone was curious.

"Yep. He seems to like it, too." Kaline smiled at the little fox, pleased with how well things had gone so far. Youko had been the ideal patient; he hadn't bitten her, he hadn't caused any problems, and he hadn't died on her. That last bit was the most important part in her point of view.

~Go figure.~ She paused. ~Well, I'll let you get back to sleep so I can get some rest too. Tomorrow, I get to tour a little zoo that's four hours away.~

"Have fun." The blue-gray eyed girl chuckled softly, knowing exactly how her friend would respond.

~Oh, you know I will,~ was the sarcastic and expected reply.

"Good night," Kaline said with a yawn.

~Night.~ The phone line went dead. Cassie had hung up.

Kaline put the phone back up on the receiver, glancing once more at her charge as she did so. The little fox, for some reason or another, had begun to whimper in his sleep.

Worry on her face, she gently picked up the fox and placed him on the spare pillow on her queen-sized bed. Then, she crawled under the covers, putting one of her hands on the fox's tail, the only place she felt comfortable with resting the full weight of her hand on. Finally, she took a deep, calming breath and once again allowed sleep to overcome her.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Kurama winced in his dream. He had returned to his human form, dressed in his Youko outfit; and the demon that had nearly killed him was currently torturing him. The evil creature wanted to know how to break into Reikai's vault. Of course, the redhead refused to say anything, even though he was strapped down on a table with a knife at his throat.

"Tell me, kitsune. I may not be able to read your mind in your dreams, but I can damage your spirit." The threat was a good one, but Kurama ignored it. "Start talking," the demon ordered, slowly pressing down on the knife so that a thin line of blood sprung forth.

"No," the kitsune replied simply, pushing the pain out of his mind with a practiced ease.

"Damn you!" the demon bellowed, jumping away from him, a scowl on his face. "You won't break." He began to pace, his frown slowing being replaced with a vindictive smile. "Well, perhaps I just need to try a different approach. You can't die in this realm so..."

Kurama closed his eyes and braced himself for whatever was to come. He expected some kind of horrid torture designed to destroy his mind and spirit. What he expected did not happen.

He was thoroughly surprised when a sense of peace and warmth washed over him, flowing through his body like a comforting wave. Opening his eyes, he noticed Kaline standing there, enveloped in a bright blue light. Her golden-brown hair hung loosely around her, and she was dressed in dark denim flared jeans and a light blue baby-tee that exposed about an inch of her flat stomach.

"Who are you?" she demanded to know of the demon, expression dark. For some reason, her gut instincts were telling her that the creature in front of her was evil and needed to be destroyed.

"Loki," the evil monster answered, surprised by the appearance of the young woman. She was not supposed to be there; no one except for himself and the kitsune was supposed to be present.

"Well, beat it!" She made shooing motions with her hands. "Be gone, demon."

A piece of bright blue light erupted out of the girl's hands, crashing into the demon. Loki screamed, and then he vanished, leaving behind a very shocked Kaline. _'I don't think I meant to do that.'_

"That was interesting." She shrugged. "It's a dream, so I guess that it's possible." The girl with golden- brown hair turned around, looking for the exit; she saw Kurama instead. "Dear Kami! Are you okay?" She rushed over to him and immediately began to undo his restraints. "Did Loki do this to you?"

Kurama could only nod his head, and when he was free, he collapsed into the girl's arms. He had been tied down so tightly that he had lost all feeling in his arms and legs.

"You poor man," she whispered sympathetically, helping him sit down on the ground. With gentle fingers, she traced his neck wound, watching it heal under her touch. The other wounds on his body healed at the same time. "That's better, now isn't it?"

The redhead blinked. "Yes. Thank you, Kaline."

"You know my name?" she inquired, but then she laughed and answered her own question. "Of course you know who I am. After all, we're in my dream."

"Actually, we're in my dream realm," the kitsune corrected her. "Although how you entered it, I don't know."

Kaline stared at him for a moment. "Riiiight. If you say so... um... whoever you are."

"Kurama," he answered simply. _ 'I probably should have told her that my name is Suuichi, but... oh well. No harm done.'_

"Oh, that's your name?" She moved around until she was sitting Indian-style, facing him.

"That's what my friends call me." His tone was neutral, giving away no extra information.

"Okay," she responded, shrugging. That was obviously his nickname. No big deal. "So, what was the deal between you and Loki? Why'd he tie you up and everything?"

Kurama sighed. She had hit a subject he had no desire to discuss. "I have information that he wants."

"What kind of information?" the girl inquired, very curious.

"Important information," he told her evasively. "I'm sorry, but I really can't tell you much else."

"I suppose that's the smart thing to do." Kaline stood up, stretching. "You wanna go somewhere else to talk? This place isn't exactly pleasing to the eye."

The kitsune glanced around at his surroundings, completely in agreement with the girl. He couldn't argue with her on that point. The only thing in the plain gray room was the table he had been strapped down on. The place was most definitely not attractive.

"Sure." He nodded his head.

"Can you walk yet?" Kaline asked, worry in her voice. She didn't want him to hurt himself, even if it was only a dream.

Kurama slowly stood up, using the table to help him. His legs easily supported his weight. "Yes, I can." He smiled when he said it.

"Good," she commented, almost melting when she noticed his bright expression. "Then, let's go. And next time we're here, I'll tell Loki that he needs a new interior decorator. This shade of gray is soooo last year." She laughed, letting the male know that she was joking.

"You can make jokes after dealing with a demon?" the redhead asked in surprise, stopping right by the door to glance back at the girl.

She shrugged. "Why shouldn't I be able to? None of this is real, so I see no reason not to joke around."

"You think that all of this is fake? That even I don't exist?" He frowned slightly at that, disliking the idea of the girl not believing in him.

"Yep. Pretty much. You're just an image that my sub-conscious created," Kaline answered. "Plus, you're just too damn fine to actually exist. No real life person could ever possibly look as good you do."

Kurama laughed softly, highly amused by her words. "That's your reasoning?"

"Um... yeah." She acted as if it was the obvious answer.

"It's faulty," he pointed out simply, tone neutral.

"Whatever." The brunette opened the door and walked outside, sunlight blinding her for a brief moment. Kurama came up beside her, watching the building behind him quickly disappear as the door closed once again.

"Interesting," he commented, gesturing in the direction that the structure had just been in.

Her blue-gray eyes instantly became rather wide. "I was thinking more along the lines of 'holy cow', but okay... I guess that 'interesting' can work too."

The kitsune chuckled, green eyes sparkling as he followed the girl's path to the ground.

Kaline laid down in the grass, golden-brown hair automatically spreading out around her in an alluring way. She stared up at the sky with blue-gray eyes, taking deep, even breaths. "It's beautiful out here."

"Yes, it is," he agreed, sitting down beside her. He was tempted to reach out and see if her hair really was as soft as it looked, and he actually resisted the urge for a full two second before giving in. Her hair was silky, and it slid through his fingers like water.

"I wonder if any place on earth looks as pretty as this." She gave a small happy sigh, enjoying the fresh air and beautiful scenery. _'Why don't I mind him playing with my hair?' she silently mused. 'Hmmm... Oh yeah. This is a dream and he isn't real, so I really have no reason to tell him to stop. Besides, I like him playing with my hair. It's soothing.' _

"Your mind doesn't stay on one subject for very long, does it?" Kurama inquired. _ 'This girl is intriguing.'_

"Nope. I don't know why it should." She paused for a brief moment. "So, now... why is my reasoning faulty?"

He smiled, shaking his head in amusement. The girl had most definitely answered honestly; her mind didn't stay on one subject for any length of time. "Because in the real world, I do exist."

Kaline looked at him skeptically. "I'll believe it when I see it. If you want me to believe you, then come visit me. My address is 119 Sunset Drive."

"I already know where you live," the kitsune admitted a little shyly. He didn't want her to ask how he knew that fact, because he really didn't want to answer. "I just can't go see you at this moment. Circumstances are against me."

The girl giggled. "Riiiight, but... oh well. Whenever you get a chance, c'mon over for tea or something. I would offer you coffee, but I hate the stuff. It smells nice but tastes awful. Cappuccino is more my style."

"You are one of the most unusual people I have ever met," Kurama commented, lifting up a long lock of her hair to his nose. He breathed in the scent --roses, vanilla, and sunshine. _ 'She even smells the same in my dreams.'_

"Do you like the scent of my vanilla shampoo?" Kaline inquired, turning her head to look at him. "I saw you sniff my hair, so I just had to ask."

The kitsune almost blushed. "It is a pleasing fragrance," he admitted honestly, removing his hands from her hair. _'The feeling that she is my soul-mate is even stronger now that I am in my human form.'_

"Thanks. It's my favorite," she responded, smiling. "I'm glad you like it too." Rolling over on her stomach, she propped her head up on her hands. "So, Kurama, you claim that you're real, right?"

"Yes," he answered warily. He had a feeling that the girl was up to something.

"Good, then you can tell me a little bit about yourself." Kaline grinned triumphantly. "Do you have parents? Siblings? How old are you? What do you like to do? Where do you live? Do you have a job?"

Kurama held his hands up to stop the never-ending flow of questions. "Slow down, please. One at a time."

She sighed, forcing herself to do what the redhead asked. "Parents?"

"They're divorced. My mom's name is Shiori," he answered neutrally.

"Siblings?" Her face was just as neutral as his, much to the kistune's amazement.

"One. I have a younger brother named Suuichi," Kurama replied.

Kaline giggled. "Funny name," she commented, but she quickly went back to the interrogation. "Age?"

"Twenty-three." He looked the girl over and tried to guess her age. _ 'Seventeen, maybe eighteen. She can't be much older than that.'_

"Oooooh, a year older than me." She paused, thinking of her next question.

_'Well, I was most certainly wrong about her age.' _ "How about I ask you a few questions?" Kurama inquired. "After all, it's only fair that you tell me a little about yourself." _ 'Not that you won't tell Youko a whole bunch of stuff over the next few days...' _he added mentally.

She shrugged. "Okay. Sure. Ask away."

"Parents?" He had decided to ask her the same questions that she had asked him.

"I don't have any. I have a guardian, and her name's Salova."

He mentally winced. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

Kaline raised an eyebrow at him. "Why? Your parents are divorced, so shouldn't I be sorry as well?" She shook her head, deciding to answer the question for him. "Listen, Kurama, you have nothing to apologize for. We're both asking innocent questions, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"Okay." Brilliant green eyes blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected a response like that. "No siblings then?"

"Bing-bing-bing-bing-bing. We have a winner!" she said in an incredibly bright tone, humor in her blue- gray eyes. When the redhead gave her a strange look, she smiled sheepishly. "I worked at a carnival one summer a few years ago," she stated as an explanation.

"Where and when was the carnival?" Kurama inquired, curious.

The girl slightly cocked her head to the side, thinking. "Um... it was one of the local carnivals in the town that I live in now. I think that it was... four years ago."

"Four years?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow at her. "And you're still saying stuff like that?"

Kaline nodded. "Yep. I worked at the same booth for a week straight. I can STILL remember the prices."

The kitsune closed his eyes and chuckled softly. The girl was most definitely entertaining. He had never met anyone like her before.

"I'm glad someone finds it funny," she grumbled, rolling her eyes skyward. "I sure don't."

"The way you said it was comical," Kurama explained, reigning in his laughter. Despite his best efforts, his eyes still sparkled, revealing how humorous he found her attitude.

"Kami help me," Kaline pleaded softly, giving a small sigh. She shook her head and then smiled. "Do you have any more questions for me?"

"Actually, yes, I do." He paused as she stared at him expectantly.

"Well, c'mon... just ask me and get it over with," she urged, poking him lightly in the side.

The kitsune grabbed her hand to keep her from repeating the action. He didn't release the delicate appendage, even when it relaxed in his grip. "Are you human?"

Kaline blinked, and then she broke down laughing. "Of course I am, silly," the girl replied, still giggling. She had found the question highly amusing, especially since it had been such an unusual one. "I'm human, just like you."

Kurama wasn't about to point out that he wasn't human, so he let the subject drop. "Okay, what's your favorite food?"

"Chocolate!" she answered immediately. "It is, without a doubt, chocolate. I love the stuff." She paused. "Yours?"

"Stir-fry," he responded. "Favorite color?"

"Hmmm... blue or silver. I'm not sure which." Kaline thought about it for a moment. "Right now, I'm leaning towards blue. What about you?"

"Red, green, white, blue." He shrugged. "I like most colors equally."

"Okay... so no favorite color." She frowned thoughtfully. "What do you do most of the day? School? Work?"

"I attend a local college," Kurama answered.

Kaline looked at him with interest. "What are you studying?"

He began examining the small hand wrapped in his. It was so small and frail compared to his, but the hand's bone structure did not match its owner's spirit. _ 'She's amazing. She can enter a person's dreams, heal them, and fight off demons... all without actually knowing how to do it. She does not seem to fear anything either.' _

"I'm working on my master's degree in botany."

"Wow... I've only got my bachelor's degree in veterinary medicine." She looked dutifully impressed. "I would give a little whistle of amazement, but I don't know how. I can't whistle."

Kurama raised an eyebrow at her. "You can't whistle?"

"Nope. Never been able to for the life of me." She shook her head, looking a little sad.

He almost chuckled, mentally shaking his head just like Kaline had done. _ 'So there is something that this girl can't do. I was beginning to become worried.' _ "It's not that hard, you just-"

She held up her free hand, effectively shutting him up. "I've heard it all already. Almost every single one of my friends has tried to teach me. I've had at least ten people explain to me how to do it, and I still can't whistle."

A devious idea formed in Kurama's mind right then; and since he was in his dream world and the girl thought that he didn't exist, he saw no reason not to go through with it.

"Perhaps you don't need someone to _**tell**_ you," he began, smiling in anticipation. "Maybe you need someone to _**show**_ you."

"Huh?"

Kurama leaned down to take advantage of her slightly open mouth when she suddenly dissolved like water washing away a painting... right along with the rest of his dream world.

  
  


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CotA: This is a warning for everyone. The "R" rating is for *begins to tick off points on fingers* violence, language, limes (NOT LEMONS), and other... stuff. I can't tell you what it is b/c that would give away some of the story!

Sess-chan: That, and she doesn't quite know exactly what happens in future chapters. That is my domain.

CotA: Yes, it's yours. Although how you came up for the idea for this fic, I don't know. I kinda figured that you would have come up with a way to torture Inuyasha.

Sess-chan: *shakes his head* No. You did a good enough job of that in Tourniquet. By the way, the review responses are below.

CotA: That was so just my line.

Sess-chan: Big deal. You'll get over it. And anyone who wants to know when CotA updates, say so in a review and she'll send you an email.

  


Purple Witchy Angel: Nope. No lemon. Lime, yes, but no lemon.

Rei Akita: Thank you.

iloveinuyasha1029: Wow. Ummm... I'm not sure if that's true. Striking Falcon's and moonsilver's stories are much better than mine.

Chronicles Bailey: Yes, Kurama can be funny at times.

Val: I do have the vast majority of it planned out, and I have about... 36,000 words written already.

Sam: *giggles* yes, they put in a new font. and I need the "soul-mate-thingy" as you put it, to make my story work.

Yanou: everyone lives in ningenkai. 


	3. Chapter Three

For Love of a "Pet"

Chapter Three

Kurama awoke to find himself on a large bed, Kaline's hand gently resting on his tail. The girl was still asleep, her breathing deep and even. Her eyelids fluttered, showing that she was probably still dreaming.

He marveled at how she continued to heal him, even in her sleep. All his aches and pains were gone, although he knew that he was still wounded. There was only one thing that bothered him. He had no spirit energy.

_'After sleeping, I should have recharged just a little; however, my power level is still at zero. This is not good. Without my spirit energy, I can not change back to my human form.' _

The kitsune mused on his condition for a while, trying to come up with a reason as to why he had not regained any of his power. Despite his best efforts, he could not come up with any ideas.

_'Could Loki have drained me of my spirit energy during the dream?' _ he wondered, mentally frowning. If that was the truth, then he was in big trouble. An enemy capable of stealing energy was much more dangerous than an abnormally strong foe.

For a few more hours, Kurama tried to think of any more possibilities. He couldn't, and he was thankful when Kaline awoke, giving him a break. He had almost given himself a headache.

"Morning, Youko," she said with a yawn. "How are you feeling this morning?"

He nuzzled her hand with his nose in response, earning a smile from her. _'I love her smile,' _he thought as she sat up in bed.

"You look a little better." She paused, a surprised expression on her face. "And your head wound is already beginning to close. I can see the difference, and that isn't normal." She gazed at him, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Hmmm... Strange."

After a few moments, she shrugged and climbed out of bed, gently and carefully pulling Youko into her arms as she did so. Cradling him in one arm, she pulled clothes out of her closet and went into the bathroom, putting him on the floor near the door.

"You stay there and be good while I take my shower, okay?" She turned on the water, and while it warmed up she washed her face in the sink. She took out her braid and then moved to pull off her pajama shirt.

When Kaline began to strip, Kurama closed his eyes; however, his curiosity soon got the better of him, and he opened them back up again just in time to see a fully naked Kaline step into the shower.

He listened to her sing softly to herself, her voice filling the small bathroom like a songbird's sweet melody. Closing his eyes, he allowed the sound to wash over him, and it nearly lulled him back to sleep. _'There's an almost healing quality to her voice. I wonder if everything about her relates to healing.' _

Kurama considered that idea until he heard Kaline shut off the water. A moment later, she stepped out of the shower, wrapping one towel around her body and another towel around her long hair.

"Mmmm... I feel so much better!" She stretched her arms above her head, breathing in deeply and then slowly letting the air out as she lowered her arms.

The female used the towel to absorb as much water as she could out of her hair, and then she dropped both of the towels to the ground. Humming quietly, she pulled on the clean clothes and then hung up the towels, picking up the fox once she was done.

"Are you hungry, Youko?" Kaline asked with a laugh. "You probably are, and I most definitely am, so let's go get the both of us some food." She carried the fox out of the bathroom and to the kitchen. With practiced gestures, she pulled out bacon and eggs and everything else she would need to cook the food. Then, she set her charge down on a chair and began to prepare breakfast.

When she was done cooking, she pulled out a bottle of small pills. She quickly read the label and took out one pill. She wrapped it up in a small piece of bacon and placed it in front of the silver fox.

"C'mon. You gotta swallow this," the blue-gray eyed girl said softly, smiling when her charge did as she wanted. He swallowed the bacon and pill together.

With that taken care of, the gray-blue eyed girl sat down and began to eat her breakfast, feeding the fox as she did so.

Once all the food had been demolished, Kaline cleaned up the kitchen and washed the dishes, leaving Kurama in the chair the entire time.

"Would you like to watch me paint, Youko?" she asked as she picked him up and carried him into the living room, setting him down in a chair as she pulled out a box of paints, paintbrushes, and a easel with a half-finished painting of two wolves at play on it. Pictures of a wolf hung from the edge of the easel, easy to glance at while painting.

Smiling, Kaline put the fox in her lap and began to paint. Kurama watched her, impressed with her ability. She was an excellent artist, and her patience when it came to the painting was astounding. For some reason, she didn't seem to mind that her progression with it was so slow. She just worked on it, humming contentedly.

The rest of the morning and afternoon, the kitsune watched Kaline paint. Both lunch and supper were short affairs, and after supper, the girl yawned so much while changing his bandages that she decided to call it a day.

With a sleepy expression on her face, Kaline went to the bedroom, changed into her pajamas, put Kurama on her spare pillow, and then crawled into bed. In moments, both Kurama and the girl were fast asleep.

  
  


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Kaline blinked, surprise apparent on her face. "I'm back," she whispered, looking around at her familiar, beautiful surroundings. Green grass stretched out across rolling hills and beneath tall shade trees. The sun shone down on her from a brilliant blue sky. Brightly colored wildflowers dotted the ground, completing the scene. She had the greatest desire to paint the place.

"We both are," a male voice said from behind her.

She spun around, a smile instantly appearing on her face when she saw the redhead. "Hey, Kurama!" she greeted him brightly. "It's nice to see you again. How ya doing?"

The male smiled back at her, pleased that she was already treating him like a friend. "I'm doing fine, and good evening, Kaline."

"Do you know where we are exactly?" Kaline asked, sitting down on the grass.

"My dream-world version of Makai," he answered simply, sitting down behind her. On an impulse, he reached out and pulled her into his lap, his arms going around her.

"Kurama!" Kaline half-heartedly protested, laughing in surprise and delight. "My, aren't we being forward today?"

"Yes, I am," Kurama responded, smiling. "Is there anything wrong with that?"

"I guess not," she answered, shaking her head. "Oh, by the way, any future objections I make to you being forward is purely instinctual. I won't mean a word of any one of the protests."

"That's good to hear," he commented, turning her around in his lap so that she was facing him. Cupping her face in his hands, he gently kissed her.

Kaline briefly stiffened, but she quickly relaxed, her hands resting on his chest as she leaned into the kiss. His lips were so soft, and he was so gentle as he caressed her lips with his.

Kurama broke off the chaste kiss, smiling smugly at her dazed expression. "Did you find that enjoyable?" he asked, curious.

She nodded her head dumbly, her mind still trying to reboot; however, she didn't seem to be having much luck. Her eyes held a glazed look to them. After a few moments, she shook her head, which obviously helped.

"Now, what was the kiss for?" the blue-gray eyed girl wanted to know, still very relaxed. She was amazed by the effect that his kiss had had on her. It was almost like she didn't have the will to protest at the moment.

The redhead shrugged. "I just felt like kissing you," he informed her simply, believing that to be explanation enough. Then, he moved to kiss her again.

Jumping out of his lap before his lips could touch hers, Kaline wagged her finger at him. She was amazed that she had recovered so quickly, but she wasn't about to complain. "Uh-uh," she stated, shaking her head. "If you want another kiss, then you're going to have to catch me." With that said, she began to run off.

Kurama quickly stood up and took chase, green eyes sparkling. His ears picked up the sounds of Kaline's giggling as he ran after her, making a grab at her every so often. He mentally shook his head at her, amused by her child-like actions; however, he was impressed by her speed. She could run faster than any human he had ever seen, and that included Yusuke.

"C'mon, Kurama!" Kaline called back over her shoulder, laughing. "Hurry up and catch me! Or are you too slow to do that?"

"I'll show you too slow," the redhead growled playfully as he used a quick burst of energy to catch up to her. After allowing himself a quick smug smile, he tackled her around the waist and twisted, making them roll through the grass together. When they finally stopped rolling, Kaline was on her back on the ground, giggling, and Kurama was on top of her, laughing as well.

The girl with golden brown hair fought to get herself under control, and she eventually succeeded. When she did, she looked up into Kurama's green eyes and flashed him a bright smile. "That was fun," she commented cheerfully. "Now, could you kindly get off of me?"

Kurama considered her request for a moment and then shook his head. "No. I rather like this. It's comfortable."

"Kurama, get off," Kaline ordered, trying to sound strict but failing miserably. While he chuckled, she bucked and rotated her hips at the same time, throwing him off of her. He groaned, eyes flashing golden for a moment; however, she just ignored his response. "There. Much better."

Since he was staying on his back on the ground, she laid her head on his chest and looked up at the sky. After a few moments of studying the clouds, she spoke again. "Look at that cloud. It looks like a puppy dog," she stated, pointing at a fluffy white cloud.

"Yes, it does," he agreed simply, enjoying her presence. He loved her scent; it was the most beautiful thing his nose had ever smelled. Her hair was long enough that he could twist a lock of it around his hand at least ten times.

Silence reigned for a full two minutes before Kaline broke it. "Ummm... Kurama? You're suppose to tell me what you think a cloud looks like," she informed him.

"Oh..." He fixed his attention at the fluffy white objects far above his head. "That one resembles an automobile."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Men and their cars." She pointed at a different cloud. "That one looks like a daisy."

"Women and their flowers," Kurama teased, earning a soft smack on his stomach near her head. She had hit him with the back of her hand.

"You're horrible, ya know that?" she commented.

"Yes," he answered, moving one hand to rest it on her stomach.

"Oooooh! That one looks like a castle." Kaline gestured towards a cloud overhead as the redhead slipped a hand underneath her shirt, resting his hand on her bare tummy.

"It's a very nice castle too," Kurama stated, lightly drawing circles on her abs with the tips of his fingers. She giggled. "That tickles!" she exclaimed, wiggling.

He slightly increased the pressure until she stopped giggling. "Better?" the green-eyed man asked.

"Mmmmm..." The girl shook her head, as if trying to clear it. "Yeah. Better." She turned to lay on her side, facing him, one arm wrapping around his chest as she moved her head to his shoulder. Snuggling up to him, she gave a happy sigh.

The redhead's arm snaked around her and pulled her fully on top of him, bringing their chests and stomachs in contact. Her legs fell to either side of him, straddling him. Her head moved to the crook of his neck, nuzzling him as her delicate hands rested on his shoulders. He kept his arms wrapped around her back, one hand buried in her hair.

"I take it you find this position more comfortable?" Kaline inquired curiously.

Kurama nodded. "Yes, I do." He kissed her quickly on the lips. "It's easier to kiss you like this." The red-haired man traced one of his hands up her spine, making her shiver slightly. He stopped at the back of her neck, leaving it there for a moment while he just admired her face. Beautiful blue eyes gazed at him from underneath perfectly arched eyebrows. Golden-brown hair tumbled about her shoulders, spilling onto his chest and the ground. Her pink lips were twisted slightly in a small smile that almost always seemed to be on her face.

Being gentle at first, he used his hand to guide her head down to his, touching their lips together. At first, the kiss was chaste, but Kaline quickly opened her mouth, and the kitsune wasn't about to turn down that blatant invitation. His tongue slid out of his mouth and into her warm cavity, tasting her sweetness.

She moaned into his mouth, sub-consciously rubbing her lower body against his. Never before had she kissed a guy like she was kissing Kurama, and the feelings shooting around inside of her felt a little odd; however, they were exciting, and Kaline welcomed them.

The redhead pulled her away after a few minutes, allowing them both to catch their breath. Kaline's suddenly bright blue eyes were glowing, a demonic sign of arousal. Of course, he knew that his own golden eyes were glowing as well, indicating the current state of his mind and his body.

"Kaline..." he whispered against her mouth, bringing her back down for another kiss.

The instant their lips touched again, Kaline vanished, leaving a very unhappy kitsune behind.

  
  


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CotA: Well, there you people go. A new chappie for Christmas! Sess-chan and I have been working hard on these, and RL Cassie has been helping by giving us some feedback.

Sess-chan: What do I get for Christmas?

CotA: Ummm... What do you want?

Sess-chan: The tetsusaiga.

CotA: Okay. *pulls out a magical copy of the tetsusaiga and hands it to Sess-chan* There you go. Merry Christmas.

Sess-chan: *Swinging the sword around to test it* Thank you.

CotA: *blinks* Did you just thank me?

Sigmund: Where's my present?

CotA: *sighs* What do you want?

Sigmund: *whispers something in CotA's ear* That's what I want.

CotA: *takes out her Baseball Bat of Doom and Destruction and knocks him unconcious* Hentai...*shakes her head* Well, the review responses are below and if anyone wants to be sent an email when I update, just tell me. Enjoy.

Sam: Ooooh. The cake sounds good. If there's any left, can I have a piece?

Bijin-chan: Kurama's a... *laughing* OMG! I have never heard ANYONE say that. I'm not sure if I should say "kawaii" or just agree with you.

Rei Akita: *sweatdrops* ummm... the difference between a lemon and a lime. Well... a lemon actually describes the act, while a lime alludes to it.

Iloveinuyasha1029: Sorry, chica, but I've already writen out a lot of the story. And Hiei already has a girlfriend slated out for him. I can add you in a future fic though. Well, whenever I get around to writing one. How about that?

Chronicles Bailey: Thanks for the compliment. Here's your update. 


	4. Chapter Four

For Love of a "Pet"

Chapter Four

Yawning, Kaline awoke and stretched, smiling happily at the thought of her dream. _ 'That was one of the most enjoyable dreams I have ever had. Kurama is like my dream prince. I do hope that he'll be in my dreams tonight.' _

Humming softly to herself, she glanced at the sleeping Youko and then gathered up a change of clothes and took her shower. When she finally stepped out of the bathroom, her patient was awake and she was ready for breakfast.

"C'mon, Youko. It's time to eat," she stated as she gently scooped him up into her arms. "I'm hungry, just like you probably are, and you need to take your pain pill."

Kaline continued to talk to the fox as she went to the kitchen and prepared their breakfast. Once they were done eating and her patient had swallowed his pill, she returned to painting. All through the morning she painted, but during the afternoon she did housework. She vacuumed, laughing when the fox yipped at it like any small animal would have done; then, she did laundry and dusted, all under the watchful eye of her adorable patient.

In the evening, Kaline changed the fox's bandages and then curled up on the couch with Youko, turning on the television. Giving a yawn, she flipped through her channels for a while before settling on Sleeping Beauty.

"It's been a while since I've seen this," she commented softly as she settled down to watch it. Halfway through it, the silver creature fell asleep and Kaline was quick to follow suite.

  
  


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Kurama walked around the dream zoo, a little bored. Kaline hadn't showed up yet, and he had really been looking forward to talking to her. He gave a sigh as he meandered about, green eyes looking at everything, but not taking in anything at the same time.

_'I do wish that Kaline was here. Things are never boring in her presence,' _Kurama thought as he began to stroll over towards a lion's cage. _'She has a habit of brightening up my day... well, my dreams, to be exact.' _

"Hey, Kurama! Koibito!" a familiar female voice called out. The kitsune turned to find Kaline jogging towards him, dressed in a pair of jean short-shorts and a lavender tank top. She waved at him as she continued to head towards him, somehow worming her way through the crowd without angering anyone. "I've been looking for you!" She smiled brightly at him.

"So I'm your koibito now, huh?" he teasingly asked her once she was standing in front of him, his green eyes sparkling in amusement. No one had ever called him that before.

Kaline blushed, suddenly finding the ground very interesting. "Ummm... yeah. I guess so." She looked up at him after a few moments and grabbed his hand. "C'mon, let's go to the nursery. I heard some people say that they have two tiger cubs there," she said enthusiastically, lightly pulling him in the direction of the nursery.

Chuckling, Kurama walked with her, intertwining their fingers and earning a smile from the girl. He followed her all the way to the building, but paused when she began to go around to the back.

"What are you doing?" he asked, curious.

Kaline turned around to look at him. "I'm using the back door so I can actually go in and hold the cubs. If I use the front door, then I'll only be able to see them."

"Why do you think that you will be allowed to hold them?" Kurama inquired, studying the gray-blue eyed girl.

"Well, there's two reasons actually," she answered. "One, I'm a member of MARS, which gives me certain privileges at zoos; and two, this is my dream, so I can do what I want."

"This is my dream," he corrected, voice sincere.

"Riiiight," Kaline responded, but then she shrugged. "Well, whether this dream is mine or yours, I still should be able to hold the baby tigers."

Kurama smiled at her determination. "Very well then... lead on."

"Thanks," she said softly, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Then, she guided him inside, telling the employees her name and that she was a member of MARS. The zoo workers let her pass.

_'She honestly believes that the zoo employees will allow her to wander wherever she wishes,' _Kurama thought as he followed her through some doors. _ 'Of course, they're doing so now because I made them. This is my dream, after all, and if Kaline wishes to hold the tiger cubs, then she shall.'_

Kaline went through a white door at the end of a hallway, the redhead at her heels. Once she was in the room, she saw a vet trying to feed one of the cubs; however, the vet was not succeeding. The baby tiger refused to eat.

"May I try?" she asked, holding out her hand to the vet to take the bottle full of milk from him.

He shrugged and handed both the baby and the bottle to her. "Go ahead, but I doubt that you'll have better luck than the rest of us."

"Maybe... maybe not," Kaline responded with a shrug, turning her attention to the tiger cub. It was so small, and she could sense that it was weak from lack of nutrition. The poor thing was so sad because it had lost its mother. "C'mon, bebé tigre, drink," she urged, positioning the tip of the bottle right above the baby's mouth.

The tiger eagerly began to drink the milk, closing his eyes in contentment. The girl smiled and gave a small sigh. Then, she turned to look at Kurama.

"Do you think you can feed this little one while I take care of the other?" she wanted to know.

"Ahhhh..." Kurama wasn't sure exactly what to say. He didn't know how to deal with a baby tiger, but Kaline didn't give him a chance to say that. She handed him the tiger cub with a sweet thanks and picked up the other baby, grabbed a bottle off of a nearby table at the same time. As the redhead fed one cub, she fed the other.

"Well, I'll be," the vet stated, chuckling in amazement. "They're eating for you two." He went to the door. "I'll leave you guys to it." Then, he was gone, the white door quickly closing behind him.

Kaline and Kurama silently fed the baby tigers for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet company.

"Aren't they just adorable?" she asked as her charge stopped eating and yawned.

"Yes, they are," the kitsune agreed, smiling at his tiger cub. It was so small and helpless, even though it would someday grow into a natural killer.

"I just love kitties," Kaline commented, rubbing her nose against the baby's little black nose. "Especially small ones. They're so cute!" She giggled happily, her blue-gray eyes sparkling with joy as she watched the tiny tiger fall asleep in her arms. "Awwww.... Kawaii."

Kurama looked down as his young charge. "It seems that mine was tired as well. He is now asleep." He set down the bottle that he had been using, noticing that the golden-brown haired girl quickly followed suite. Then, she placed the tiger cub in a small cat bed, gesturing for the redhead to do the same; he did.

"Now, how about we go walk around the zoo some?" she suggested, glancing once more at the sleeping cubs.

"Sure." He really didn't care what they did, as long as he could stay near her.

The two left the nursery and wandered around the zoo, looking at many of the animals. Chatting as they meandered about, they joked around and basically enjoyed themselves. After a little while, they both bought some cotton candy and sodas.

Kaline giggled as the sugary substance quickly melted on her tongue, relishing the sweet flavor. She smiled like a child when Kurama commented on how blissful she acted while eating.

Later, they went to a dolphin show, admiring the grace and agility of the marine mammals. Then, at the insistence of Kaline, they went to a tiger show. She clapped her hands and cheered like a little girl, loving every trick the large felines did.

Kurama just admired her enthusiasm, smiling at her. He hoped that she didn't ask him later about the shows, because he hadn't actually watched the shows; he had watched her instead, which had been great entertainment. He loved watching her face light up like a child's as she stared at the amazing animals, joy surrounding her like a tangible aura. She was the most intriguing person he had ever met. In his eyes, no one could hold a candle to her.

After the tiger show, they went into one of the walk-through exhibits--the South American Jungle. Tall, fake trees reached towards the top of the glass dome, and colorful plants with bright green leaves flowed over the ground. The humid air was thick, but not too bad, in Kaline's opinion. Small, harmless animals cooed and chattered as they made their way through the habitat. The path that wound it's way amongst the large, fake trees forked every so often, sometimes leading to hidden alcoves with benches.

A small, lecherous smile on his face, Kurama led Kaline to one of the hidden alcoves where no one could see them. He pulled Kaline over the stone bench, sitting down and tugging her down with him. She landed on his lap, her chest facing his.

Cocking her head slightly to one side, she rewarded his actions with a curious look. "What're you doing, koibito?" the blue-gray eyed girl inquired, voice soft.

"This," the redhead answered, pulling her into a kiss. Kaline automatically opened her mouth for him, bringing out her tongue to gently trace his lips. Her movements were a little timid at first, but when his mouth opened, she quickly grew more bold. Pressing more firmly against him, she used her tongue to explore his mouth and duel him in sensual movements. Her lower body instinctively ground against his, eliciting groans from the both of them.

When the kiss finally ended a few minutes later, the golden brunette cupped his face in her hands, holding him off for a moment. "Are you sure this is the best place to do this?" she asked, her voice husky from the kissing and her eyes glowing a bright blue.

"This is a dream," he reminded her, turning his head to kiss one of her palms. "So does it really matter?"

"Hmmm... I guess not." Kaline's smile faded as she brought his face back her hers, a jolt of electricity shooting down her spine as their lips touched.

Kurama slowly rearranged them until she was on her back on the bench with him on top, gently pressing her down. His mouth and tongue ravaged hers, enjoying how sweet she tasted. After a while though, he decided to move to other things.

The blue-eyed girl whimpered when he abandoned her lips to nip and suck at the sensitive skin on her neck. He gently dragged the tips of his teeth from her ear to the base of her throat, relishing the taste of her luscious skin and the sounds of her pleasurable moans.

After a few moments, the kitsune pulled one of the straps of her tank top down, revealing one perfect creamy shoulder. Movements torturingly slow, he kissed the skin there, tracing her collarbone with his tongue every so often. When he brushed his teeth against the spot where her collarbone met her shoulder, he paused, the desire to mark her surging forth.

The redhead guessed that he must have been still for quite a while, because Kaline used one of her hands to gently bring his golden gaze to her face. "Kurama..." she whispered, bright blue eyes half closed in pleasure. "Is everything okay?"

Her voice sent the need to mark her back where it had come from. "Yes, everything's just fine," Kurama answered, returning to kissing her throat and neck with enthusiasm.

As he continued his ministrations, Kaline groaned, her body undulating under his. The feelings shooting through her nerves felt wonderful, but they left her with a desire to move, to do something. When the feelings intensified, she began to mewl, her hands exploring his back and buring in his hair.

Smirking, the redhead moved back to her lips. "Mine," he whispered possessively.

"Hey, what are you two doing?" a childlike voice asked.

Golden eyes wide with shock and surprise, Kurama turned to look in the direction that the voice had come from. Right as his glowing orbs lit on the form of a small boy, his dream world shattered.

  
  


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Kurama awoke at the same time as Kaline, his eyes instantly noticing her bright-blue ones; however, they quickly faded back to normal as she took a calming breath.

"Well, Youko, that was interesting," she stated, giggling. "It seems that my hormones are becoming just a little bit carried away."

_'Just a little?' _he mentally repeated in amusement. _'She becomes so thoroughly aroused that her eyes begin to glow, and she claims that her hormones are only a **little** carried away? She is vastly underexaggerating.' _

Yawning, Kaline sat up on the couch, leaning her lower back againt the arm. "Well, I'm up, and it's time to start the day. Don't you agree?" Without waiting for the answer that she knew she would never receive, she picked up the fox and carried him into the kitchen for breakfast.

  
  


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CotA: Sorry for the short chapter people, but that was where I had to break it off. I believe the next chapter is longer. Well, the review responses are below.

Rei Akita: I know that you don't know unless you ask. The question was embarrassing for me though. And as for your new question... *sweatdrops* ah... I hate embarrassing questions. Umm... a demon's eyes glow his/her demon form color when aroused. There. I answered your question.

Arium: I would love to email you, but you don't have your email on your bio page. Could you please give me your email so I can send you updates?

Sam: Yea! Cake! Thank you! *cuts the cake and hands a piece to both Sess-chan and Sigmund* It is Christmas time, so I'll share with even Sigmund. He is my muse, after all.

PWA: Yep. It was a dream, and there are going to be more of them. 


	5. Chapter Five

For Love of a "Pet" 

Chapter Five

An entire week passed by quickly, with Kaline spending every night in the kitsune's dreams. Their relationship continued to rapidly grow, much to Kurama's liking. He treasured his time with her, even if it wasn't exactly real. She was a precious gem of a person, overflowing with joy and enthusiasm, and she was easy to get along with. He had a feeling that even Hiei wouldn't mind being around her. Of course, if that did happen to be the truth, the fire demon would never admit to it.

Silently laughing at that thought, Kurama rolled over on the bed. At the moment, he was trying to sleep and failing miserably. He was tired, but the land of dreams evaded him for some reason or another. The kitsune yawned as he opened his eyes. He instantly saw Kaline, her eyes tightly shut, mumbling something in her sleep. He caught only a few words, but they were enough to send his worry level skyrocketing.

"Loki... Leave... OW!"

_'He's in her dreams,' _he thought. _ 'I've got to get him out.'_ Without thinking, he curled up on her stomach, closed his eyes, and concentrated. 

  
  


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Kurama realized that he had succeeded in entering Kaline's dream when he heard Loki laugh.

"You are a fool, little girl. You should have never helped Kurama," he growled out, pointing a sword at her throat. She was hanging from a tree by her wrists.

"I'll help who I want!" she shot back, unfazed by the evil demon. She kicked at the weapon with one foot, missing and accidentally causing herself to swing into the blade. It cut into her neck, leaving a shallow cut; however, it still bleed profusely, soaking the front of her pale blue shirt.

The kitsune stood up, staring across a beautiful courtyard at the demon. "Leave her alone," he ordered, quickly moving to stand between him and the girl. _ 'How dare he attack her! Kaline is mine! No one else is permitted to enter her dreams! I am her future mate, and I will not allow this to continue.' _

"You honestly think you can order me around?" Loki snorted, obviously finding everything rather humorous. "You are a fool."

"You have no right to be here," Kurama stated darkly. "Be gone." He pulled out his rose whip, lashing out at the enemy with it.

Loki dodged the attack, but he didn't expect a tree to attack him from behind. A large tree branch crashed into his head, slamming him into the ground. Growling, the acid-green demon stood back up, only to have his head sliced off by a thorned whip.

Kaline stared as Kurama killed the demon with a whip that had appeared out of no where. She was shocked, to say the least; however, she was not going to allow that to hinder her ability to plead for help. She wanted down!

"Kurama, could you please untie me?" she asked, voice soft, as she watched the remains of the demon vanish. Loki had dissolved into nothing.

The redhead turned to her, noticing that her wound had already healed. Her shirt, however, was still soaked with her own blood. "Yes, of course," he replied, going to stand underneath her. Concentrating, he flicked his wrist, causing the thorn whip to slice through the rope holding her up. Without the rope to hold her up, she fell right into Kurama's waiting arms.

For a few moments, Kaline just nuzzled her face into Kurama's neck, taking deep, calming breaths; she was taking comfort in his scent, his warmth... his very presence. Finally, she decided to speak. "Could you please put me down now? I think I can walk, and I wanna go get changed."

"If you're sure..." The kitsune set her down, keeping his hands on her in case she began to fall.

"I'm positive, koibito." Then, she began to walk towards the main part of the castle. Kurama just sighed and followed, not having a clue as to where she was going.

Kaline led him to a huge room that was obviously meant for royalty. A huge four post bed rested in the center of the room, the foot of it facing a man-sized fireplace. A luxurious rug covered much of the floor, and beautifully woven tapestries hung on the walls. Torches helped light up the room, as well as candles on the bedside table. A large, wooden wardrobe rested in one corner near an old-fashioned vanity.

With a small smile, the blue-gray eyed girl began digging through the wardrobe, finally choosing a royal blue silk gown with pale blue silk trim and elaborate sapphire beading. The long sleeves flared drastically at the ends, and the scooped neckline was very low.

"I'm gonna go change now." After saying that, she went through a door into another room, closing the slab of wood behind her.

A few minutes later, she emerged. The dress fitted her perfectly and the skirt just barely brushed the floor revealing dainty high-heels as she moved. Somehow, she had done up her hair in four braids: one from her forehead to her crown, one from each of ears to her crown, and one from the nape of her neck to her crown. She had even twisted the four braids into an elegant bun, complete with sapphire jeweled pins for decoration. All in all, she looked like royalty, most likely a princess.

"What do you think?" Kaline inquired, slowly twirling for him to see the whole picture.

Kurama gave her a thoughtful look. "You look amazing, but your outfit just needs one more thing to be complete." He looked around the room, his eyes noticing on exactly what he had been thinking of. With a smile on his face, he picked up the small, intricate, silver and sapphire crown. "This is what you need." He placed the crown on her head, noticing how perfectly it suited her, just like the dress. "There. Exquisite."

She blushed. "Thank you." Movements graceful, she headed towards the door. "Now we need to find you something to wear."

The kitsune immediately shook his head. "I know what the men wore in this time period. They dressed in tights. Sorry, but I have no desire to wear a pair of those." _ 'They'd cling to my body a little too much and reveal just how attracted I am to her,' _he mentally added.

"What if I found you something that didn't have tights?" Kaline wanted to know, her tone one of curiosity.

"Then, I might put the outfit on," Kurama replied honestly. "Although 'might' is the key word there."

The girl just laughed at him. "Awww... c'mon. It'll be fun to dress up," she insisted as she led the way down the stone hall.

_'I choose normal locations to have my dreams in--Makai... a zoo. What does she choose? A medieval castle.' _ The kitsune mentally shook his head to clear his thoughts. _ 'Well, I do have to give her credit for choosing an interesting place.' _

"I wonder where Sombra is..." Kaline opened a random door, and Kurama nearly had a heart attack when they came face to face with a black panther; however, the blue-gray eyed girl just giggled and held out her hand for the large cat to lick.

The redhead sighed in relief. "And who is this?" he inquired, not reaching out to touch the creature. After all, he had no clue how friendly it was.

"This is Sombra, my pet kitty." She giggled. "Her name means 'shadow.' It fits her, ne?"

"She is black like one," the kitsune agreed with a nod of his head.

Kaline scratched one of the panther's ears just like she would a house cat. "She follows me like a shadow too." Sombra began to purr loudly. "She's my guardian demon."

"Guardian demon?" Kurama repeated, noticing the creature's bright blue eyes for the first time. They were the same shade as Kaline's whenever she was aroused. _'Strange... very strange. I'm not sure if it's a coincidence or not.' _

"Yes. She's suppose to protect me from evil monsters that invade my mind." She frowned. "Which reminds me... where were you when Loki attacked?"

Sombra flicked her tail right under Kaline's nose, making the girl sneeze. _'I thought that you were visiting Kurama again. I did not think that you would be here tonight.' _

"I have not visited Kurama in his dreams even once. He's a figment of my imagination. My mind created him. He visits my dreams," she insisted.

The black panther gently pawed the girl's skirt, claws sheathed. _'I know the truth, whether you admit it or not. You found your way into Kurama's dreams.'_

"I did not." She had a feeling that Sombra and her were going to go around and around on that one point for a long time if no one called the argument to a halt soon.

_'It's alright if you don't believe that right now. There is no danger present to force you into understanding everything right this second; however, you will eventually have to accept that you can enter other people's dreams.' _ Sombra nuzzled the blue-gray eyed girl's hand. _ 'I will help you through it all, just like I promised.' _

Kaline smiled. "I know," she stated, petting the cat's head.

"Were you just talking to the panther?" Kurama suddenly inquired, a curious expression on his face.

The girl turned to look at him, nodding her head at the same time as Sombra. "She can talk back too, but it seems that only I can hear her," the light brunette replied.

_'I can talk to him to if I so desire,'_ Sombra informed Kaline smugly. _ 'However, if I do, then you will not be able to hear me.' _

Smiling, the female patted the feline on the head. "Kurama, she says that she can talk to you if she wants."

"Does she want to?" the redhead asked, curious.

The black panther nodded her head and switched her link from Kaline to the kitsune. _'Hello, Kurama.' _

"Could you please explain this 'guardian demon' position to me?" Kurama requested politely.

_'Yes. I am Kaline's guardian demon, which essentially means that I am her demon half. She is half human, half cat demon. I represent the part of her that is demon. Since she doesn't know a thing about being a demon, I can only protect her in her dreams and in her mind; however, once she learns about and accepts me, I will merge with her. After the merger, I will be able to protect her at all times.' _

"So that means..." He wasn't sure if he could believe a talking cat in a dream, but he wasn't about to dismiss it without hearing everything it had to say.

_'That means that I am Kaline... a small piece of her, actually. I am no different except for my blood.' Sombra sat down, her tail curling around her feet. 'Her parents didn't tell her a thing about her ancestry before they died, and everyone who knows about her past has been sworn to secrecy. Even though Kaline knows nothing about me, I still exist; and, eventually, I will rejoin with her. I just don't know when that is going to happen.' _

"Hmmm... interesting," the kitsune commented.

_'Yes, very much so.'_ The cat almost seemed to smile. _ 'What Kaline knows, I know; however, I know more than she does, as you have probably noticed. I know that we are soul mates, but Kaline can only sense and react to that on a sub-conscious level. Also, I know that in healing you, since you are her soulmate, she gave you the same powers that she has. That is why you could come here.' _

"Can you tell me anything else?"

_'Of course.' _She sounded smug, even in his mind. _'Kaline's remarkable healing ability stems from her father's side; however, her demonic powers come from her mother.' _

"That does not make sense," the redhead stated, a small frown on his face. If Kaline was half demon, then only one parent could be a demon with powers. Humans did not usually have special powers. Sure, there were the exceptions to the rule, such as Kuwabara and Genkai, but humans just were not that powerful. Even Yusuke, as strong as he was, had turned out to be a half demon.

_'It will if you think about it.' _ With a nod of her head, Sombra cut off the connection to the fox demon and reestablished the one with Kaline.

"Are you two done talking now?" the blue-gray eyed girl asked as she felt her protector set back up their link.

_'Yes, we are,' _the feline answered.

"Great." Kaline turned to Kurama. "Well, what do you think of her?"

"I have never seen anything like her," the fox demon answered.

She smiled in response. "I'm glad you approve." She paused. "Now, let's go get you some clothes." Leading the way down the hall, Sombra right on her heels, Kaline opened up doors, peeking inside before walking on.

After a few minutes, she opened a door and actually went inside, gesturing for Kurama to do the same. He followed her, finding himself in another fancy room. He gave a small sigh as the girl pull out a pair of loose dark green breeches, calf-high soft leather boots, and a pale green tunic with dark green trim. The breeches and tunic seemed to be made out of high quality silk.

"I think this should fit you," Kaline stated, holding the tunic up to him. "It looks like it will." After giving a small shrug, she put the clothing into Kurama's arms. "Now, go change in there." She pointed to a door on one side of the room.

The kitsune just sighed and went to do as he had been told.

'He is very cute,' Sombra commented. _'And you and I both know that the tunic is going to be a little snug in the chest area.' _

"I know," the light brunette replied, giggling. "That's one of the reasons I picked it."

_'And the color goes well with his eyes.' _ The panther affectionately rubbed her head against the girl's side. _'You picked a good outfit.' _

"Do you think that he'll actually wear it for me?" She sounded a little worried.

_'This is your dream. If you really want to see him in it, then change the reality so he doesn't have a choice,' _the feline replied, mental voice sounding mischievous. _'Although I have a feeling that you can think of better things to put him in.' _

Kaline blushed. "Sombra!" she exclaimed, surprised. "I cannot believe you just said that. Shame!"

Kurama came out of the room to find the blue-gray eyed girl lecturing her cat. He chuckled in amusement, drawing the female's attention to him.

"Wow... you look good, koibito," she commented, appreciation in her voice. Her eyes took in every detail, from the perfect fit of his tunic that showed off his muscles, to the breeches that were just large enough to cover things but give her an idea of how well-shaped his legs were, and finally to the black boots that graced his feet. "Very, very, _VERY_ good."

Smiling, she grabbed his hand and began to gently drag him off, Sombra at their heels.

"Where are we going?" the redhead inquired.

"The stables!" Kaline answered happily with a laugh.

He blinked in surprise; he had been expecting something a little more original from her. "The stables?" he repeated.

She turned around to look at him, eyes sparkling. "Of course. Where do you think the unicorns stay?"

_'Okay... Kaline comes up with some of the most original ideas I have ever seen. Most people I know dream of normal things, like school or work or some-such. She dreams of castles with a talking cat and a stable full of unicorns.' _He mentally laughed at himself, making a note to never jump to conclusions when dealing with Kaline.

Still giggling, she led him through hallways and down flights of stairs until they finally arrived in a large stable, the fresh smell of hay filling the air. Only ten of the stalls were filled, but Kurama was surprised once again when he noticed exactly what kind of unicorns graced the stables with their presence. _ 'Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, gold, black, white, silver... amazing. They are each a unique color,' _the kitsune mused.

Kaline immediately walked up to the blue one, gently petting it on the nose as she pulled a sugar cube out of nowhere. "Here you go, Azul." She fed the unicorn the treat, laughing when it butted its head against her chest, silently asking for more. Feeding the creature another sugar cube, she turned to Kurama. "Well, what do you think of them?"

The redhead studied the mythological animals for a moment. "They're amazing." He reached out and touched the black one gently, watching in amazement as it nuzzled his hand.

"That's Negra. She's a sweetheart," the blue-gray eyed girl informed him. "And they're all spoiled rotten. I've gotten them hooked on sugar."

"What have you named the rest of them?" Kurama asked as he continued to pet Negra.

"Well, the red one is Rojo, the orange is Anaranjado, yellow is Amarilla, green is Verde," she spouted off. "You already know that the blue one is Azul and black is Negra. The purple one is Morada, the silver is Plata, the gold is Ora, and the white is Blanco."

He whistled in amazement, surprised that she could name them all off so quickly. "Where'd you come up with all of those?" Turning to fully face the gold unicorn, he began to pet it.

"Their colors match their names," she answered. "I just use the Spanish versions of the colors." She paused for a moment. "Would you like to ride one of the unicorns?"

Right as he turned back around to look at her, Kaline leaned down to pet Sombra, giving him an excellent view of a certain part of her anatomy. "I can think of something else I'd rather ride," the kitsune answered with a small, lecherous smile. 

Kaline blinked in surprise. "Oh? What?"

Kurama was never given a chance to answer, because the entire world suddenly faded to black. He stared at the blank void for a few minutes, and then he woke up, silently cursing his bad luck. 

  
  


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Sam: Stupid security pup. I think ff.net may need to fix it.

AzureDragoness: *laughs* Yes, serious snogging. There will be more of it too.

Iloveinuyasha1029: Thanks! I can't quite remember where the idea for this came from, but I believe it had something to do with the stuffed fox I bought at the World Famous San Diego Zoo while I was on vacation.

Bijin-chan: Yes, it's perfectly natural for you to forget what you said. I do it all the time. *laughs* And I'm glad you liked the chappie. I work hard on them.

PWA: I had to end the dream somehow, and the kid was looking like a good bet.

Rei Akita: *winces* I embarrass easy. Just ask any of my relatives. 


	6. Chapter Six

AN: Okay, many people commented on Kurama's OOCness. Perhaps I should explain that. He knows that he's in a dream, so he believes he can get away with more things. How many people act differently than they normally would while dreaming? I know that I've done some off the wall things in my dreams, some of which totally defied my normal personality. Kurama feels... freer in his dreams, so he sees nothing wrong with saying something out loud that he's thinking at the moment. C'mon. What kind of consequences are there in dreams? You wake up, and everything's gone. Dreams really don't matter. There's no rules, no boundaries, no nothing. *shrugs* At least that's what I think.

For Love of a "Pet"

Chapter Six

Kaline yawned as she woke up, her eyes instantly going to the fox that had curled up on her stomach.

"Did you find yourself a new pillow?" she asked him with a laugh when he looked at her through half-closed eyes. "You certainly look comfortable." The brunette gently scratched one of his ears, briefly taking note of the fact that his head wound was completely healed.

_'Was she this affectionate with the other animals?' _ Kurama wondered a he rubbed his head against her hand.

"C'mon, Youko. Get off. I want some breakfast," Kaline stated, lightly tapping his nose.

Reluctantly, the kitsune crawled off of her stomach. Then, he watched her climb out of bed. Giving another yawn, the girl glanced out the window, the sunlight warming her face. Suddenly, she gasped, a mild curse escaping her mouth.

"Derek," she growled quietly, her expression one of annoyance. "And I just washed my car last week." The girl gave a soft sight. "This is just great." Her blue-gray eyes wandered to the clock. The glowing numbers read eleven thirty. "Dang... I slept in big time."

Kurama silently laughed. _ 'I don't know what she's complaining about. I enjoy myself when we sleep, and I'm sure she does too.' _

Giving a shrug, Kaline picked up her bedside phone and pressed a few buttons. "Hey, Cassie," she said, voice cheery, whenever her friend picked up.

~Oh, hi, Kaline. How's Youko?~ Cassie inquired in a curious tone.

"Pretty good. His wounds have been healing really quickly. He'll be perfectly healthy in about a week or so," she answered, smiling. She was beyond thrilled that her patient was almost fully healed.

~That's great.~ Cassie sounded pleased. ~That means I can start looking for a place that'll take him.~

"Cool." Kaline paused. "I didn't call you to talk about Youko, though."

~I kinda figured that. Your tone gave it away.~ The girl chuckled.

"Yippee." She sighed. "Well, guess what happened to my car."

~It got egged again, didn't it?~ Cassie sighed. Egging seemed to be a common occurrence with her friend.

"Yeppers," the light brunette answered. "So, would you mind coming over to help me wash it?"

~Not at all. I'll be there at one,~ she answered immediately. ~After all, what are best friends for?~ 

"Okay. See you then."

~Bye-bye.~ Cassie hung up, and Kaline followed suite.

Yawning once again, the blue-gray eyed girl picked up the silver fox, cradling him in her arms. Humming, she went about her normal morning activities, Kurama watching her every second.

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Hiei frowned slightly as he continued to search for Kurama. With his jagan eye, he could faintly sense his friend, but it wasn't much of a trail to follow. He slowly walked through a nearby forest, coming out to a highway.

The fire demon followed the busy road for a while, his mind almost completely focused on the kitsune's mind signature. After some time, he left the highway to follow some side roads.

He came across a small, quaint housing development. Tall trees and well kept lawns seemed to the be the trademark for the area, as well as family-sized houses. Kurama was somewhere in the area.

Hiei continued to follow the trail until he ended up outside a light blue house. His friend was inside, but the only person he could spot through the windows was a girl with long brown hair. She had a silver fox in her arms, which she soon set down.

_'That must be Kurama,' _the koorme thought, although he wasn't quite sure why he believed the fox to be his friend. It just seemed very likely.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small car pull into the driveway. He ignored it, including the being that climbed out of the vehicle. It was a demon, but not an incredibly strong one, so he didn't worry about it. All he cared about was what was actually in the house--Kurama and the girl.

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Kaline was gathering up some car washing supplies, Youko nearby and watching her, when her doorbell rang. A smile breaking out on her face, she went and answered the door.

"Hey!" the blue-gray eyed girl chirped.

Cassie instantly frowned as she walked into the house. _ 'Kaline is acting too cheery. Something is wrong. Well... something besides the obvious.' _

"How are you doing?" the dark brunette asked, worry in her voice.

"I'm doing pretty good, even though I keep sleeping in," she answered, tone cheery.

_'Okay, now it's official. Something is most definitely wrong,' _she mused. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Kaline shook her head, gathering up the supplies, Youko, and a rope. "No, I don't think so." Giving her friend an innocent smile, she went outside.

Cassie followed, watching with interest as the other girl tied the fox to a tree and told him to behave. Then, the cheery female brought the hose over to her car, sighing when she saw up close just how filthy it was. Her entire vehicle was covered in eggs, and her bumper sticker ("Destroy all puppy mills") had been ripped off.

"I really dislike Derek," Kaline muttered under her breath. "And I know he's the one who did it."

"And how is that?" the dark brunette inquired curiously. _'I can smell him, but how could she know?' _

The other girl pointed to a "D" that had been painted on her front windshield. "That is how."

"Ah..." The teal-eyed girl paused, deciding to change the subject. "Something's bothering you, Kaline," she stated softly as her friend filled up two buckets of soapy water. "What is it?" Her voice was laced with concern for the blue-gray eyed girl.

The taller girl sighed, finally giving into her persistent friend. "It's... well..." she drifted off for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts. "I've been having these dreams for the past week or so. They're not exactly reoccurring ones, but the same guy is always in them."

"Is he cute?" the dark brunette wanted to know, eyes bright with humor.

Kaline giggled. "Kami... he's way beyond cute. He's absolutely gorgeous and unbelievably sexy." She closed her eyes, her mind immediately recalling an image of the man. "Mmmm... dear Kami, is he ever sexy."

"That's what's bothering you?" Cassie frowned, unsure of herself. She didn't believe that something so trivial could upset her best friend. Kaline was usually easy going and calm, a hard person to unnerve even during the worst situations.

The other girl shook her head and began to wash her car. "Not exactly..." She paused, not noticing her sponge that was dripping soapy water all over her bare feet. "I call him koibito. That's sweetheart or beloved in Japanese, a term of endearment you use for someone you're in love with."

The blue-green eyed girl remained silent, knowing that her friend would elaborate if no one spoke. There definitely were advantages to knowing her best friend so well.

"I think that I've fallen in love with the guy from my dreams." Kaline sighed, looking forlorn and incredibly lost. "And it doesn't help that every time I see him he insists that he actually exists... that he lives in the real world. This guy has told me so much about himself. He's in college, studying botany; his mother's name is Shiori. He has a younger brother. Also, he claims that I invade HIS dreams, not the other way around."

She shook her head, trying to clear it of her confusing thoughts.

"I love fantasy as much as the next person, but I'm not stupid. I know that he can't be real, yet... I think that I love him."

"You invade his dreams?" Cassie repeated quietly to herself. "Interesting twist." _'Her powers are emerging even stronger now. She most likely is entering this man's dreams. I don't know how, but it seems logical.' _ She mentally sighed. _'I don't know how much longer I can keep Kaline's ancestry away from her. If she keeps using her powers like this, then I will have to spill the beans. I know that I promised Mother never to tell, but I can't let Kaline think that she's actually going insane.' _

"Yeah," the light-haired girl agreed, voice soft.

"Well... if he's as hot as you claim, would you please ask him if he has any cute friends that can invade my dreams?" She looked at the blue-gray eyed girl, a huge grin on her face. If she couldn't tell her friend the truth, then the least she could do was cheer her up.

"What?!" Kaline exclaimed and began to laugh, her mood lightening almost immediately. "Cassie... thanks. I needed that." She was smiling again, looking like an extremely heavy weight had been partially lifted from her shoulders.

The shorter girl blinked. "I was serious. Ask him." Her tone was one of mock sincerity.

Rolling her eyes, the other female picked up the hose and began to spray down the car again. "You are absolutely horrible, you know that?"

"Of course," Cassie answered non-apologetically. "But still, ask if he has any cute friends." She paused, her eyes going to the tree in the front yard. "Scratch that. I just found a cute guy on my own." _'A cute demon guy. My day is looking up.' _

* * *

  


_'Kurama, have you been here this entire time?' _Hiei mentally asked his friend, who was furry at the moment.

_'Yes, I have. I fought against a demon named Loki. I lost, and my power had me assume this form,' _he answered.

_'Then why don't you change back? This fox form is pathetic.' _

Kurama mentally shrugged. _ 'I have no spirit energy at the moment, so I can't do that.' _

_'Hn... I'd better get you out of here then.' _

_'No!'_ the kitsune mentally shouted as forcefully as he could, surprising both himself and his friend.

Hiei frowned. _ 'Why?' _When Kurama didn't answer, the fire demon decided to take a quick guess. _'It's because of **her**, isn't it? The girl that was holding you earlier?' _

Kurama nodded. 'Yes.' 

* * *

  


"Huh?" Kaline released the hose, her eyes drifting over to where her friend was looking. A man stood by the tree, looking down at Youko with red eyes. His spiky black hair with a white star-burst somehow .defied gravity; however, some black locks fell across his forehead, highlighting a white sweatband. He was wearing all black: black boots, black double-belted pants, and a black shirt. A katana was strapped to his back.

"Can I help you?" the blue-green eyed girl asked as she walked up to the male, drawing his attention away from the fox and to her.

The man in black stared at her, his red eyes glowing for a brief moment. "Hn. No." _'She's gorgeous... absolutely gorgeous, and she's even a demon.' _

Cassie frowned slightly, noticing his expression. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Because if you don't need help, then what are you doing in my friend's front yard?" _ 'If he's here to make trouble, we've got a big problem. He's a powerful fire demon... at least Class A, and he can fight with a sword. I'm not sure how long I'd be able to stand up against him.' _

_'I can think of a few things that she can help me with,' _Hiei thought. An instant later, he mentally smacked himself for that thought. _'That was not right. I should not be thinking things like that. Do I have a fever or something?' _

Shrugging, the man's gaze drifted down to the fox. "What is a fox doing tied to a tree?"

_'Kaline tied me here,' _Kurama explained to his friend.

Kaline walked up to stand beside her friend, her eyes flashing protectively. "Youko is tied to the tree so he can't run off and get himself hurt. He's in my care until MARS can find a place... a zoo or something to put him in." Her look promised pain to anyone who even tried to hurt the fox.

"MARS?" he repeated, bestowing a glare on the light-haired girl. What kind of nonsense was she talking?

"Mistreated Animal Rescue Society, or MARS for short," Cassie answered. "If you have any questions, I can give you the number of our recruiter."

"I'm not interested." He sounded cold and distant, like a person that needed to be avoided. _'I don't know what's going on with what I'm feeling, but I'm not sure if I like it.' _

The dark brunette shrugged, unfazed by his attitude. She had seen much worse. "Okay then. Can you tell me your name? Mine's Cassie."

_'It can't hurt to tell her. She did tell me hers.' _The red-eyed male studied her for a moment. "Hiei."

"Hiei," she repeated, the name sounding strange and somehow right at the same time. "Nice name. Very original." _ 'I'm in love with him already...' _

Kaline, unsure about the newcomer, untied the fox and picked him up, cradling him in her arms. "What were you doing in my yard, Hiei?" she wanted to know, suspicion in her voice. "Did someone send you?"

Kurama mentally laughed. His "protector" didn't trust his best friend. What an interesting twist.

The black-haired man scowled at both the girl and the fox. He had heard his friend's laughter at his expense. "No." _'Baka kitsune.' _

She sighed in relief, rubbing the fox's ears. He sounded honest. "Thank goodness. For a moment, I almost thought that Derek had sent you down here."

"The jerk would do something like that," Cassie commented, looking at her friend. "But I don't think that Hiei here is the type to take orders from someone." _'Besides, Derek isn't a strong enough demon to order Hiei around. The jerk is a Class F ice demon--not exactly someone who can boss a Class A demon around.' _

Hiei smirked in agreement. He didn't like taking orders, even from Koenma. _'So she isn't all looks. There's a brain in there too. Good.' _

"Sorry for suspecting you," Kaline apologized sweetly. "But I've just had my car egged for the third time in the past month, so I'm not exactly in the most trusting of moods."

"This has happened three times?" the fire demon asked. _ 'Someone must really dislike her.' _

The blue-gray eyed girl nodded her head. "In the last month, yeah. Total, I would have to say... about six times."

His red eyes widened in surprise. _ 'I have a feeling that only one person is doing this to her. When Kurama finds this person, the vandalizer is going to wish that he had never touched anything of hers. Demons are protective over their mates and future mates.' _

"Hiei, would you mind sticking around to help us clean up this mess?" the dark brunette inquired politely, pointing at the car. "We could use your assistance."

"I'll stay and help," he replied without even thinking. _'Why did I just say that? I must have spent too much time around the baka.' _

"Great," Cassie commented, smiling.

"Thank you so much!" Kaline cheered enthusiastically as she tied Kurama back up, her eyes reflecting her happiness. "I'll go get you a bucket and a sponge." With that said, she went into the house.

"Does she always have this much energy?" Hiei asked, eyes going to the front door as Kaline came back out.

"Yes, usually Kaline does." The teal-eyed girl giggled. "Well, unless you wake her up early in the morning or something. She does not do mornings at all."

_'It figures that Kurama would find a cheery, innocent girl to fall in love with,' _the fire demon thought with some amusement.

At that moment, Kaline set the bucket and sponge by the car and called to the other two. "Hey! C'mon. Let's get this over with." She immediately grabbed the hose and began to spray the car down.

Cassie just smiled and did as her friend wanted. Hiei wasn't far behind.

The two girls chatted as they washed the car with the dark brunette constantly trying to include the male demon in the conversation. He didn't say much, but every so often he did make a few comments. In addition to that, he did answer every question that Cassie asked him, much to his surprise.

When they were done washing the car, the teal-eyed female took her bucket of soapy water and ceremoniously dumped it on Kaline. Gasping in shock, the light brunette stared at her friend before grabbing her bucket and throwing it at the other. Her aim was good.

A suds-covered Cassie picked up the hose and pulled the handle, spraying Kaline, while Hiei just watched the two girls with amusement. After a few moments of watching them run around, giggling like school girls, he began to laugh.

A playful scowl on her face, Cassie pointed the hose at the fire demon. "Laugh at us, huh? Well, take this!"

Not expecting that maneuver, Hiei didn't have a chance to dodge. Within seconds, he was dripping wet. Growling, he grabbed his bucket and used some of his speed to dump it over the dark brunette's head before she could move.

"There. We're even," he stated with a small smile.

"I don't think so." Cassie once again aimed the water spray at the fire demon, but he was prepared for that move that time. He dodged right as Kaline came up from behind and grabbed the hose from her friend.

"HA!" Giggling, Kaline began to spray her friend down. Once she finished, she turned on Hiei and sprayed him.

The fire demon growled and wrestled the hose away from the girl. The instant he turned it on her, the water stopped flowing. _ 'What?' _ He shook the hose, frowning. _'I can still hear the water, so what's going on?' _ He turned the object so he could look down the open end.

A split second later, the water surged forth, spraying his face. Berating himself for the stupid action, Hiei jerked the hose away. As he shook the water out of his black hair, he heard giggling.

The male koorime spun around to find Cassie holding the hose in her hands, a crease in the rubber material. She had obviously kinked the hose.

Cassie noticed where the male demon was looking and smiled innocently. "What are you looking at me for? I didn't kink the hose. No, not at all." Her falsely sweet tone gave the truth away. "I didn't do anything; I swear. It was Casper the friendly ghost. You're just imagining this hose in my- AH!"

Hiei, tired of hearing her nonsense, had dropped his part of the hose and playfully pounced on her, sending her down to the grass with him on top. Their eyes met, and they both stopped moving. Red and teal orbs exchanged heated looks.

Kaline stared at the two for a moment before picking up the forgotten hose. She had a devious plan. _'Cassie is not going to like this, and neither is he,' _she thought. Then, without saying a word, she sprayed them down.

The black-haired man rolled off of Cassie, growling softly. The dark brunette merely blushed as she stood up.

"Kaline... what was that for?" the teal-eyed girl asked her friend, wringing some water out of her hair and clothes.

"Well, what was up with that stuff?" The light brunette pointed to the ground where the two had just been. "I'll answer your question when you answer mine."

_'I want to hear this.' _ Hiei smirked at watched Cassie, waiting for her answer. 

"Ummm..." She drifted off. "I'll tell you later."

_'Damn.' _ Right then, he heard laughter in his head. Kurama was laughing and his jagan eye was picking it up. _'Shut up, baka kitsune. At least **I'm** not acting like a pet.' _

_'Are you sure?' _ Kurama's tone was smug._ 'I beg to differ.' _

Hiei mentally growled back at him. He didn't say anything in response because Kaline walked up and hugged him in a child-like manner. She released him quickly, not even noticing that the gesture had not been welcome.

"Thanks for helping, Hiei. I really appreciate it. You too, Cassie." Smiling, she went over to Kurama, untied the knots in the rope, and then picked him up. "Well, I hate to say this, but I have to get some work done on my painting. I'll see you two later." Giving them a quick wave, she grabbed the buckets and sponges and went inside.

Cassie quickly noticed that she had the perfect opportunity to speak to the fire demon alone. _'Did Kaline plan that?' _she silently mused. _'Nah... I highly doubt it. She's not the one to scheme.' _Still, she did decide to take advantage of her friend's timely exit. "So, Hiei, what are you doing this Friday?" she asked, sounding curious, her eyes sparkling.

"Hn." He blinked, thinking of a moment. "Nothing."

She smiled. "Well, do you want to go out to eat with me? I know this excellent restaurant downtown. It has the best ice-cream that I've ever tried."

The fire demon considered the offer for a moment, and then he nodded his head._ 'I might enjoy it... especially if there is good ice-cream.' _ "What is the name of the restaurant?"

"Ye Olde San Francisco," the blue-green eyed girl answered simply. 

"I'll meet you there at five."

"Great." She smiled happily, thrilled that Hiei had said 'yes.' Giving him a kiss on the cheek, she blushed slightly. "Five sounds perfect."

Hiei nodded his head, acknowledging her response. Then, without another word, he took off. 

Cassie was still smiling after he disappeared, pleased with how well things had gone. As she climbed into her car, she recalled his face as she had kissed his cheek.

_'He blushed.' _

  
  


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AzureDragoness: Sorry about the lack in kissing. I'll make up for it in later chapters, and I add Spanish because I love the language.

Nadira: Yes, Hiei is yours. *shakes head* Dang, you're silly, RL Cassie.

Rei Akita: I don't know how I can write this stuff. I know that it doesn't make any sense but... *shrugs* I can't explain why.

Tom: OUCH! The flu sucks, but at least it helped you out in the past.

Sam: Yes, yea for updates. I have... only one more chapter to put up before I have to start writing more. Darn it. My muses need to get working again.

AN: HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE/NEW YEARS PEOPLE! 


	7. Chapter Seven

For Love of a "Pet" 

Chapter Seven

Kaline set Kurama down on her bed as she gathered up some clothes. "Well, I knew that there was a reason I didn't take a shower earlier." She gently patted the fox on the head. "I'll be back out in a bit. You be good." Then, she went into the bathroom.

_'Well, that was interesting,' _he thought. _ 'I've never seen Hiei act like that.' _The kitsune silently chuckled. _'That was unusual, to say the least. I believe he feels about Cassie the same way I feel about Kaline. Nothing short of that could have made him jump her.' _

Kurama curled into a ball, wrapping his tail around his body. _ 'If Botan finds out, she'll spread it all over Reikai. Poor Hiei will never live it down.' _ He yawned. _ 'Teasing him about this will be fun.' _

Staring at the bedspread, his mind switched subjects. _ 'I wonder why Kaline is worried about calling me koibito. It's not THAT big of a deal. If Sombra was telling the truth and she is a half demon, then Kaline is only reacting to the bond she senses between us.' _He shifted positions. _ 'Besides all that, she believes that it's only a dream. There's nothing wrong with enjoying your dreams.' _

The kitsune suddenly realized something. _ 'Cassie understands her friend well. She knew that Kaline was upset, even though Kaline tried to hide it. Why did Cassie reassure her friend by joking? And she didn't even sound surprised when Kaline said that she supposedly enters my dreams. I believe this girl is more knowledgable than she lets on.' _He thought about that for a few moments. _'And she reacted to Hiei just like he did to her. I can't be sure of this without any spirit energy to probe her with, but I believe she is a demon.' _

At that moment, Kaline came out of the bathroom, damp hair pulled back in a braid, pajama pants and baby tee clinging to her body. "I'm gonna paint now. Would you like to watch me again?" she asked the fox, picking him up at the same time. Scratching the silver creature under the chin, she made her way to the living room.

Soon, the fair brunette had set everything up and she began to paint, the fox demon in her lap. She kept painting until seven in the evening, finally calling it quits when her stomach growled.

"I'm done!" Kaline stated happily, holding up Kurama so he could have a good view of it. "What do you think? Do you like it?"

He almost nodded his head in response, but he caught himself just in time. The painting was beyond just plain good. The girl had talent, and it showed in the piece of artwork. He could definitely see how she made a living off of working for MARS and painting.

"I like it too." Smiling, the blue-gray eyed girl headed for the kitchen. "I'm absolutely starving. It's time for supper."

Kaline prepared a meal for both herself and the fox, finding out that he devoured stir-fry. After supper, she washed dishes, signed her painting, and then headed directly for bed.

Within moments of her head hitting the pillow, she fell asleep.

  


* * *

  
  


Kaline opened her eyes to find herself laying in a rose petal covered bed, dressed in a cobalt blue mini skirt and a light blue spaghetti-strap shirt. On her feet were a pair of heels that were so high she greatly doubted her ability to walk in them.

"What in the...?" She frowned thoughtfully, looking around at her surroundings. She was in a richly decorated room that lacked doors and windows. It was filled with expensive-looking furnishings. A crystal chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, splaying light in beautiful patterns all over the burgundy walls.

"Where am I?" She paused, moving to sit up. "Hello? Is anyone there?!?!" She did not want to be trapped in a room by herself.

"Kaline?" came a familiar voice from the other side of a suddenly visible door.

"I'm in here, Kurama!" the girl called back, happy that she wasn't alone. _ 'Normally, I would ask about the door, but this is a dream, so... anything's possible.'_

The door opened and the redhead walked into the room, his green eyes becoming very wide the instant he noticed how Kaline was dressed.

"What are you wearing?" He had never seen her in anything like what she had on at the moment. She usually wore more modest clothing. Of course, he wasn't complaining. He liked her in those clothes. 

"Ummm... a tiny, itsy-bitsy skirt and a spaghetti strap shirt," she answered simply with a small smile. _ 'He looks a little surprised,' _she thought with a silent laugh.

"Why?" He just had to ask that, but he wasn't sure exactly the reason behind the question. Maybe he was curious.

Kaline shrugged. She didn't have an anwer for him. "Well, since you're always claiming this is your dream world, why don't you tell me?"

"I don't have a clue. Trust me... if I had complete control over your clothing, then you would be wearing nothing." A lecherous smile followed that comment.

"KURAMA!" she exclaimed, shocked by his words. Her mouth hung open for a moment, but she quickly recovered and smiled at him. "Well, you're being forward again, aren't you?" Her tone was a teasing one.

He nodded. "Would you rather be the forward one?" he asked, a curious look in his eyes.

Kaline considered that idea for a few minutes. _ 'It is just a dream...' _She reminded herself, finally nodding her head in response.

She climbed out of the bed and carefully walked until she was standing by him, gray-blue eyes a few shades brighter than usual. "Sit," she commanded softly, pointing at the bed.

Smiling, Kurama sat down on the edge of the mattress. _ 'This is going to be interesting... and fun. Most definitely fun.' _

Kaline looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. "Shirt. Off." She didn't trust her ability to stand in her heels and remove his shirt at the same time. More than likely she'd fall over if she even tried. Grace was not one of her dominant talents.

Once again, the kitsune happily did as she ordered, pulling off his shirt and tossing it onto the floor. 

A heated expression in her blue eyes, Kaline sat down on his lap, straddling his waist in her short skirt. His hands instantly went to rest on her waist. As her hands explored his upper body, her tongue explored his mouth. She touched every bare inch of him, and she even finger-combed his hair for a while, enjoying the feel of his long silky strands. The tips of her fingers caressed his skin, sending pleasurable shivers down his spine; her tongue played inside his mouth, sensually dueling with his tongue.

After a while, she drew away from him and gently pushed him so he was lying on his back. Smiling slightly, she traced his arms and chest muscles with her tongue, stopping for a brief moment when she reached the waistline of his pants. 

Kaline debated with herself for a few moments, while Kurama watched her patiently with glowing gold eyes, his breath coming quickly and his heart beating fast.

_'Should I? Should I not? Does it matter what I do? This is a dream, after all,' _she silently mused. In the end, she decided to proceed.

She moved off of him, her hands immediately going to his pants. She quickly unbuttoned and unzipped them, tugging them fully off a second later and depositing them on the floor with his shirt.

Kurama groaned softly as Kaline studied him, her eyes resting on his boxers for a long moment before looking up to meet his golden gaze.

"Damn, you're fine," she whispered before she went back to exploring his body. She softly kissed his stomach muscles, using the tip of her tongue as well; then, she moved to his legs, slowly working her way down. She ended her explorations at his feet, crawling back up the bed to smile seductively at him. 

"Was that forward enough for your liking?" the golden-brown haired girl asked teasingly, her eyes sparkling. 

Kurama just smiled mischievously. "Aren't you going to finish?" 

Kaline looked at him, feeling very confused. "Finish what?" 

"There's one area you have yet to kiss or explore..." He figured that his suggestive tone would be more than enough to give away what was on his mind. 

She blinked and then blushed when she realized what the redhead was referring to. "Do you want me to complete my investigation?" she asked, voice sultry, eyes glowing bright blue.

He immediately nodded his head. _ 'She normally acts so naive, but dear Kami, she can be a little seductress in her mind when she wants to be.'_

"Okay then," Kaline stated, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll do just that."

She did finish her exploration, and Kurama glady returned the favor, much to her surprise and delight.

An hour later, when they were both done 'exploring,' they rested on the bed, Kurama spooned against Kaline. He buried his nose in her hair, breathing in her pleasant scent while she played with some of the rose petals on the bed. Her blue-gray eyes followed the red objects as they fluttered from her hand down to the bedspread.

"I wish you were real," she whispered suddenly, giving a small, wistful sigh.

"I AM real," Kurama insisted, nibbling on her ear. _'She tastes as good as she smells, that's for sure.'_

Kaline moaned in reaction. "No, you can't be. This is just a dream... a really good dream." She snuggled back more firmly against his chest, enjoying his comforting warmth. "My subconscious created you for some odd reason or another." _ 'Not that I'm complaining...' _

He lovingly kissed her temple. "I am real, and as soon as I can, I'll prove it to you," he promised.

"Why do you keep claiming that you really do exist?" Kaline turned her head until she could see Kurama's face, her eyes a little sad. She really wanted to believe him, but her common sense wouldn't let her.

"Well, I do that because-" Suddenly, the girl in his arms vanished. "I love you," he finished even though she was gone. "Kuso!"

  


* * *

  
  


Cassie sighed as she stared at the paper and the pencil in her hand. She just couldn't get the demon out of her mind, and that fact was doing a number on her ability to draw. _'I need to design something' _she thought, giving a small sigh.

She designed clothes and showed them to different clothing companies who paid her per design. The designing side job was usually a good thing for her... unless she had a mental block. _ 'It usually doesn't take me this long to think of something,' _she mused. _ 'I just keep thinking of Hiei.' _While she continued to imagine the black-haired demon, her pencil began to move. _'I love his hair, and his double-belted pants are pretty cool. He is the most handsome guy I have ever met. He's interesting too.' _

Looking down at her paper, she scowled. She had drawn a picture of the male demon. "I'm not supposed to draw you," she said with a sigh as she tore the picture of Hiei out of her drawing notebook. _ 'Okay. Time to try again, and no more Hiei.' _

Cassie went back to trying to draw, and she failed five more times before she finally gave up. _'I need to do something to get my mind off of him.' _

Desperate, she put on a pair of running shoes and went outside. The summer air felt good, and the light breeze gently played with her hair as the morning sun shone down on her.

_'Okay... let's see if I can do ten miles today.' _Taking a deep breath, she began to run at a leisurely pace for a demon.

Cassie ran for three hours straight, the male's face still dominate on her mind. She couldn't get rid of him; she even knew why she couldn't think of anything else but him. She was in love with him, and that fact was not going to go away. That was the reason the fire demon dominated over almost all her thoughts.

_'I have work to do. I can't let him take over my whole mind.' _ Breathing hard, she collasped under a tree in her front yard, flopping out on the grass. _ 'This is not working.' _

"Why can't I get Hiei out of my mind? Is there something wrong with me?" Cassie whispered to herself.

A man in black suddenly appeared by her side. "There's nothing wrong with you."

The dark brunette jumped in fright, her heart beating about five times harder than it had been during her run. "Damn, Hiei. You gave me a heart attack." She put her hand over her heart, feeling the rapid thumping in her chest.

Hiei found himself repressing a laugh. _ 'What am I doing? Why do I want to laugh? I don't laugh, but...' _ He mentally shook his head. "You should have been paying more attention to your surroundings."

Cassie raised an eyebrow at that. "Perhaps you should tell me what in the world you're doing here? Our date's not for two more days."

The fire demon sat down in the grass and shrugged. "I felt like it." _ 'I couldn't get you out of my head either.' _

"Well, would you like to warn me next time before you decide to see how fast you can make my heart beat?" she retorted playfully.

"Why?" he inquired after a minute or so, his red eyes studying her face. _ 'She is so beautiful.' _

Frowning, Cassie sat up. "Why what?" _ 'Are we still on the same subject? He took so long to respond that I don't know.' _

"Why should I warn you?" Hiei clarified. "Do you have problems with surprises?" 

"No, I actually like surprises, but you should still warn me," she shot back, a small smile on her face. _ 'You can surprise me any time, hottie. Any time at all.' _

"What would you say if I decided to surprise you now?" the koorime asked, red eyes carefully watching her teal ones. _'Would a kiss count as a surprise? It can't hurt to find out.' _

Cassie shrugged. "It depends on the kind of surprise." 

It took Hiei less than a half second to decide to kiss her. Using his speed, he pulled her into his lap and pressed his lips to hers. He skillfully kissed her for a few minutes, his tongue tracing her soft lips, her teeth, and finally the inside of her mouth.

The brunette brought out her tongue to play with his, quickly discovering that the fire demon tasted better than anything else she had ever found. She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning against him. _'Please, Kami, don't let this be a dream.' _

As suddenly as the kissing began, Hiei called it to a halt. He pulled away and removed the female from his lap. "Good luck getting me out of your head now." _ 'Because I won't be able to get you out of mine after** that**,' _he added, taking quick inventory of his body's condition. He had a sneaking suspecion that his eyes were glowing. _ 'I need to go.'_

Standing up, he briefly ran his fingers through her hair and then disappeared before she could say a word.

Cassie sat there for a few moments, her brain desperately trying to process what had just happened. _'He came, he kissed me, and then he left.' _ She ticked off the points in her mind. _ 'I think I missed something, but there's not a thing I can do about that.' _ She sighed softly, her thoughts all jumbled together thanks to the fire demon. _ 'I need to get back to work. I've stalled long enough.' _

Sighing again, she stood up and went back inside, not knowing that she had a pair of red glowing eyes following her every move. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


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CotA: Okay, before you people get onto me, I know that some people (like Kurama and Hiei) are OOC. Guess what? I really don't care too much, but I do apologize. I will try to keep them as in character as possible, unless my story calls for them to act a little different. Oh, and I have good news. RL Cassie finally got an online account. Her name is Nadine, and her story is _Alone in London_. It's a Harry Potter fic, so if any of you read HP fics, would you mind reading hers and giving her a review? I'm sure she would appreciate it. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the review responses are below.

Tom: The land of hope is nice, and I know that my ending to Bonds of Slavery was a little short.

Rei Akita: You like the Hiei/Cassie pairing? Yea!!

AzureDragoness: Did I make up for the lack of snogging in the last two chappies? I sure hope so. ^_^ And yes, the next chappie is Hiei's date.

Luraia Soul: Thanks for the review and compliment.

Sam: Who moves fast? Kurama and Kaline, or Cassie and Hiei? Yes, Hiei blushing is a funny thought.

Bijin-chan: Yes, you did call Kurama a sexy beast. *chuckles* It was pretty cute. I'm not gonna comment on you calling Hiei a sexy beast. RL Cassie would get onto me for that. *shudders*

PWA: There'll be more as soon as I can write it. As it stands, chapter 8 has a grand total of two sentences.


	8. Chapter Eight

For Love of a "Pet" 

Chapter Eight

"Kurama's where?" Kuwabara frowned as he sat down in a chair at Yusuke's apartment. Hiei and Yusuke were both there, and the fire demon had just given his report.

Hiei rolled his eyes. "I don't have time to deal with your stupidity. Kurama's at a girl's house recuperating."

"Recuperating. Right." Yusuke smirked. "I'm sure that's what he's doing."

"He's in fox form, so yes, he is doing exactly that," the koorime stated. "She doesn't know he's a demon." 

"Fox form?" the carrot-top repeated, looking completely confused. "He has a fox form?"

_'Idiot.' _ Hiei mentally groaned. He hated dealing with the stupid human. "That question does not deserve an answer," he retorted coolly. 

"Hey! It was a good question!" the bearer of the spirit sword protested.

Yusuke shook his head. "Why would Hiei say Kurama is in fox form if he doesn't have a fox form?"

"Ah..." Kuwabara looked completely dumbfounded, emphasis on the _dumb._

"Just when I think you can't become any more pathetic..." Snorting, Hiei began to walk off, heading towards the front door. 

"Hey! Where are you going? You can't just walk away from me!" the tall human shouted. 

"I can walk away from you, and where I go is none of your business," the fire demon retorted. "I have matters to attend to." He glared at Kuwabara, a ghost of a smile on his face. Without another word, he ran off.

Yusuke blinked, a little surprised. "He looked almost happy." He turned to glance at the carrot-top. "Kuwabara?"

"Yeah? What is it?" Kuwabara stood up.

"Okay, you're still alive, so he's not happy about killing you," the raven-haired spirit detective commented. "And you're at the top of his hit list, so I doubt he killed anyone else."

"What are you hinting at, Urameshi?" he demanded to know.

"Simple. Something's up with Hiei."

  


* * *

  


Hiei arrived at the restaurant ten minutes before five. The building was huge, easily able to hold a crowd of 500. A few people sat at a bar along one wall, and the other few hundred humans and demons filled the tables. Waiters and waitresses bustled around the room, trying to keep up with their duties. Quite a few failed. Around twenty people were standing around, waiting to be seated. Cassie was nowhere in sight.

Rolling his red eyes skyward, he made his way over to the hostess's stand. He quickly found out that there would be a two-hour wait for a table. Since he did not feel patient, he opted for sitting at the bar.

A the fire demon headed towards the bar, a girl dressed all in black and wearing black make-up stopped him. Her black hair just barely brushed her shoulders, hanging straight and limp, and her brown eyes gazed down at him.

"Hey, you can join me at my table if you want," she offered. "People like us have to stick together after all."

Hiei gave her a look that would have frozen a flame. _ 'Annoying human. I am nothing like her. We only dress in the same color. That is the only similarity.' _

The girl seemed to understand the message, because she nodded and walked away.

He mentally shrugged and went to sit at the bar where he decided to patiently wait for Cassie.

  


* * *

  


Cassie walked into the restaurant at five exactly, dressed in a pair of leather sandals, black jeans mini shorts, and a emerald green tank-top. She looked around for Hiei, but she couldn't spot him anywhere. She was unable to see over so many heads. _ 'I hate being short sometimes.' _ Gently chewing on her bottom lip, she continued to search for him with her eyes. She was forced to manually search for him, because she couldn't sense him. There were too many other demons in the room for her to pick out Hiei.

Looking around the room, she saw families, couples, and groups of guys and girls, both mixed and not. Giving a soft sigh, she frowned at her surroundings. _ 'Where is he? Could he have stood me up? He'd better not have.' _She crossed her arms over her chest and continued to survey the room.

A man walked up to her, dressed in a pair of plain blue jeans, a white shirt, and tennis shoes. His dark blond hair was cropped short, leaving his clean face open for inspection. If she had been looking for a stranger to talk to, she would have approached him; however, she was looking for Hiei, her date.

"Do you have a map?" he asked, tone flirtatious. "Because I just got lost in your eyes."

"No." Cassie shook her head. "Sorry, but I guess you'll just have to stay lost." She turned away, only to feel someone tap her on the shoulder. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she turned back around. "Yes?" she asked him.

"Could I have your number?" the blonde man wanted to know.

"No." She briefly glared at him before once again spinning around. Someone touched her shoulder again, and she glanced over her shoulder to see the same guy. "Yes?" She sounded irritated.

"Would you like to sit at my table? We could get to know each other better," he offered.

Cassie shook her head. "No," she told him, hoping that third time would be the charm and he would leave her alone. Without waiting for him to say something else, she took a few steps away from him.

When someone tapped her shoulder once again, she turned around and prepared herself to yell at the idiot who couldn't seem to understand the simple two-letter word.

"Dammit. Now see here..." Cassie drifted off when she saw who had touched her. It was a man dressed all in black with black hair and red eyes. She smiled. "Oh, it's you Hiei. I thought it was someone else." 

"Obviously," Hiei replied dryly. He had seen the guy bothering her, and he hadn't liked it; however, he was pleased that she had given the guy the cold shoulder. She was a loyal person, which was a good thing, especially in his book. "We have seats at the bar." 

"Oh, okay." She nodded her head in understanding. "I completely forgot how busy this place is, so I didn't make reservations. Sorry about that."

He shrugged. "It's not important." With that said, he led her over to where he had been sitting. Cassie sat down on an empty barstool next to him.

Moments later, they had both placed their orders and had begun talking. They discussed whatever came to mind, and she even told him a little about her life.

"You already know I work for MARS," she stated. "But I don't know what you do." Throughout their discussion, she had noticed that Hiei tended to be a little closed-mouthed about his life.

"I work for Koenma," Hiei told her, voice neutral.

Cassie about choked on the water she had been sipping. "Wow." She blinked a few times._ 'That was unexpected. I never thought he would work for that guy.' _

"What exactly do you do for... MARS?" he inquired, changing the subject a little.

"I tour zoos and such, checking to make sure the animals are happy and healthy." She shrugged. "I also design clothes as a side job." 

Hiei raised an eyebrow at that. _ 'She's a clothes designer? How strange. I don't know what I expected her to say, but that wasn't it.' _

They received their food at that moment, so their conversation slowed a little. The food was excellent, and they both tried each other's dishes. Then, they ordered dessert.

"So, Hiei, I remember you having a sword the first time we met," Cassie began to say. "How often do you practice with that thing?"

_'She automatically assumes that I know how to use it. Good. She's definitely intelligent. Most people would have asked if I could use it,' _Hiei thought. "At least once a day," he answered. "Except for lately."

"Could you teach me how to use one? I've never had the chance to learn." She smiled at him.

"I don't-" He cut himself off when a man walked up and tapped Cassie on the shoulder.

Cassie glared up at the male for interrupting their conversation. "Yes?"

The man pushed some of his earlobe-length bangs out of his brown eyes. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind giving me your name and number. I'd love to get to know you better."

"No."

"Would you rather skip that and just go see a movie with me?" the brown-eyed male asked.

"Can't you see I'm talking to a guy? Doesn't that give you a hint that I'm on a date?" she retorted while Hiei growled. "Do I have to kiss him or something to get that point across?!" She briefly rolled her eyes, and before either of the men could say anything, she pulled Hiei into a quick but deep kiss. When she broke away from the kiss, she glared at the man. "There. Do you understand my situation now?"

His eyes became wide as he held up his hands in an innocent gesture. "Sorry. Sorry. I'm going." Being true to his word, he left.

The fire demon studied Cassie for a moment. "I think you can do better," he stated.

"Huh?" She blinked a few times.

"The kiss," he answered. "It wasn't as good as the last one."

Cassie briefly smiled. "Well then, I'll just have to try again." She leaned over and pressed her lips to his, quickly opening her mouth to allow his tongue to enter. Fire spread through her body as their tongues fought for dominance, and she couldn't help but give Hiei a sensual smile when he pulled away. 

"Better?" she asked.

He nodded his head. "Yes." 

A man tapped Hiei on the shoulder. "Onsh you're done witsh her, can I have a go?" a drunk man asked, his words slurring. 

Cassie waited no time to slap the man. "Get a life."

"That would be a no," Hiei stated, a smirk on his face. _ 'The girl has spirit and a willingness to protect herself. She doesn't ask me to do something for her; she does it herself. I respect her for that.' _

She sighed as she caught the bartender shaking his head out of the corner of her eye. "How about we eat our dessert and then get out of here?" she inquired as their ice-cream arrived.

"Sure." He took a bite of his dessert and instantly knew that Cassie had been telling the truth. Ye Olde San Francisco did have the best ice-cream.

"I'm off Tuesday, so if you want to get together again on that day, we can," Cassie informed her date as she began eating her chocolate sundae.

He considered the question for a moment. "Where and when?" was all he had to ask.

"How about at my house a little after noon? I was thinking of us going on a walk." She quickly finished off her ice-cream.

Hiei demolished his dessert. "I'll be there."

  
  


* * *

  
  


* * *

  
  


CotA: I am really sorry for taking so long to update, and I know that this chapter is shorter than usual. It's late at night, I'm tired, and I want to get some sleep. I typed up most of this near midnight, so you people better be happy. *yawns* I'm going back to bed now. The review responses are below.

Rei Akita: Geez, you're demanding. I'm trying to get this chappies out as fast as I can. Really I am.

Dark_angel2288: Intereting twist? What was?

sam: Oh, okay. I wasn't sure who you were referring to. I do know that Cassie and Hiei move a little fast, but hey. It's not as bad as some relationships I've seen in real life.

Kittykat89: Thanks

passerby: I will update asap.

Yanou: I understand moving. it's hectic. *sighs* I hate having to move.

PWA: Yeah, two sentences. Not much, huh?

Rose Jade: Ummm... I think this answered your question about other YYH characters being in this.

Bijin-chan: Yes, that does seem to be the way with dreams... especially his.

Luraia Soul: I am having fun writing this. 


	9. Chapter Nine

For Love of a "Pet"

Chapter Nine

Cassie entered her house, still smiling. Her date had gone extremely well, despite the interruptions, and she couldn't keep her happy expression off of her face. She walked into her bedroom and plopped down on her bed with a content sigh. 

_'I can't wait until Tuesday. It's going to be great, and there'll hopefully be no interruptions this time.' _She giggled and then picked up a phone. She pressed her speed dial button, and a second later, someone answered at the other end. 

~Hello?~ Kaline asked. 

"Hey, it's Cassie," she stated. "You won't believe what I just got back from." 

~Ahhh... a sci-fi convention?~ the girl inquired jokingly. ~Or your home planet?~ 

"Ha-ha," Cassie responded dryly. "Very cute, but no. I just came back from my date with Hiei." 

~Really?~ Kaline asked, tone filled with excitement. ~How did it go? Where did you go? Did he kiss you? Are you going out again?~ 

"Whoa! Slow down there." The dark brunette laughed. "I can only answer one question at a time." 

~Pft. Pathetic, but I suppose there's nothing I can do about that,~ she said with a over-dramatic sigh. ~Now, start talking. I want to know what happened.~ 

"We went to Ye Olde San Francisco," Cassie began. "And things were pretty good, except for I kept getting bothered by guys... and one was even a drunk." 

~Ewww...~ Kaline commented, and Cassie could almost picture the face of disgust her friend was making. ~I would think that you'd be used to all the attention by now. After all, if you were taller, you could be a model.~ 

"Whatever." She flapped her hand at that. "I didn't call you to talk about my career possibilities." 

~Well, start talking then.~ 

Cassie shook her head. "Alright, alright. Calm down." She giggled. "When one of the guys came over, I proved to him that I was taken by kissing Hiei." 

~Wow! Go Cassie!~ Kaline laughed. ~And what else happened? What'd he say?~ 

"Nothing much. We kissed again, finished our meal, talked some more, and set up our next date," Cassie told her friend. "We're going on a walk on Tuesday." 

~Awwww... that sounds just plain sweet,~ she commented. ~OH! I have an idea. You remember how we were planning on going to see the fireworks by the river for the Fourth of July this Wednesday?~ 

"Yeah..." The water demon had a good idea what her friend was hinting at. 

~Invite him along! I'm sure you'd both enjoy watching the fireworks,~ Kaline stated. ~And you two can share your own blanket. I can camp out a little distance away, which would give you privacy.~ 

"Sounds good to me." Cassie paused. "You just want to meet him again so you can interrogate him, don't you?" 

The other girl laughed. ~Kinda-sorta-maybe.~ 

She chuckled at her friend's silliness. "You are impossible." 

~Yeah, I kno-~ Kaline cut herself off. ~Hey! Youko! You come back here with my sock right now!~ 

Cassie heard sounds of pounding feet, after a few moments, the noise stopped. 

~Cassie, I hate to say this, but I have to retrieve my sock from Youko,~ the girl stated. ~My house on Wednesday at eight, right?~ 

"Yes. I'll see you then. Bye," she replied. 

~Bye.~ 

Cassie hung up the phone and laughed. 

  


* * *

  


"Youko, I think you're healing too fast," Kaline stated as she tried to wrestle her sock from the silver fox. 

_'No, I'm not,'_ Kurama thought, playfully growling at her as he shook his head. The movement wrenched the sock from her grasp. Feeling triumphant, he raced off, running under one of her chairs and jumping up on the couch. He crouched down on his front paws, waving his silver tail back and forth. 

"Give that back," she demanded, her hands on her hips in mock anger. "I'm trying to fold laundry." 

_'I don't want to.' _ He cocked his head to one side, biting down even harder on the white material in his mouth. _'I'm having fun. You try finding something to do when you're a fox.' _

"Fine then. I'll just take it from you." Kaline lunged at him, grabbing the sock. She used her other hand to press on the corners of his mouth, forcing it open. Smiling, she jerked the clothes item from between his sharp teeth. "There!" 

Kurama jumped off of the couch and sat down by her left shoe, his tail curling around his feet. He looked up at her with big golden eyes, trying his best to look like an adorable animal. _ 'I believe it's time for supper. I'm hungry.' _ He heard her stomach growl. _'And judging by the noises your stomach is making, you are as well.'_

The girl laughed softly. "I think I need to get some food into my system." She picked up the fox. "You need to eat too." 

Smiling, Kaline prepared some food for the both of them. After they had eaten, she set about starting another painting, Kurama in her lap. She lightly sketched the outline of a wildcat about to pounce, and by the time she was done with that, she was yawning. 

"I think it's time for bed." She put everything away, trooped back to her room, changed into her pajamas and curled up in her bed with Kurama on the pillow next to hers. 

  


* * *

  


Kaline opened her eyes to find herself in a dance club, the only light coming from the flashing lights in the center of the dance floor. There were couches over in a corner, almost completely shrouded in darkness, providing a perfect hiding place for couples to make out. Music filled the area, the base making her bones vibrate. Strangely enough, the place wasn't all that crowded. Sure, there were plenty of people, but she had expected the dance floor to be packed. 

Blinking until her eyes adjusted to the small amount of light, she looked around, trying to spot anyone she knew. She didn't find anyone, but someone found her. 

"Hello, Kaline," Kurama said, speaking just loud enough to be heard over the music. 

"Hey!" she replied enthusiastically, smiling at him in his khaki pants and black long-sleeved, button-down shirt with its red rose pattern. It looked pretty good on him, although she would have thought it would be a little too hot to wear to a dance club. "So, who's dream world are we in this time? Yours or mine?" 

"Mine," the redhead answered, finally taking a look at what Kaline was wearing. She was in dark blue belly shirt that was decorated with small beads in floral patterns. The sleeves were practically non-existent, barely covering her shoulders. The neckline was a little lower than what she usually wore, but it wasn't too low. Her black miniskirt barely covered her lower regions, and her calf-high black boots seemed to be made of leather. With her hair up in a high ponytail and decorated with small sapphires, she looked amazing. 

"Okay then..." Kaline pointed at the dance floor as a familiar song began to play. "You wanna dance?" 

Kurama nodded his head. "I would like to." 

"C'mon then!" 

  


. 

_ ~My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, _

And they're like it's better than yours. 

Damn right it's better than yours. 

I could teach you but I'd have to charge

  


My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, 

And they're like it's better than yours

Damn right it's better than yours

I could teach you but I'd have to charge~

. 

  


Smiling, Kaline grabbed his hands and dragged him out to the very center of the dance floor. Once she stopped walking, she put his hands on her hips, wrapping her arms around his neck. She quickly caught the beat of the music and began to move, her hips swaying seductively. Her movements were graceful, and he would have called them beautiful if they hadn't been so erotic. 

Kurama was a little surprised by how she danced, but he went along with it, moving a little with her. He almost gasped when she pressed their bodies together and ground her hips against his, sending a pleasurable jolt up his spine. He was not used to dancing with women like he was dancing with Kaline, but since it was she, he didn't worry too much about what he was doing. 

  


. 

_ ~I know you want it_

The thing that makes me

What the guys go crazy... for

They lose their minds

The way I wind

I think it's time~

. 

  


As Kaline continued to bump and grind against him, he opened his mouth to say something. No words came out. A soft groan slipped out instead as he found himself responding to her actions. He quickly realized that he was enjoying himself; he didn't want to distract her from what she was doing either. 

Kurama used his grip on her waist to pull her more firmly against his body as he rocked his hips with hers. His whole body was humming, and every cell within him seemed to be electrified by what she was doing with him. The girl was an excellent dancer, and a seductive one on top of that. He couldn't imagine a better dancer than her. 

  


. 

_ ~Lalalalala, _

warm it up

Lalalalala, 

the boys are waiting

  


Lalalalala, 

warm it up

Lalalalala, 

the boys are waiting

  


My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, 

And they're like it's better than yours. 

Damn right it's better than yours. 

I could teach you but I'd have to charge

  


My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, 

And they're like it's better than yours

Damn right it's better than yours

I could teach you but I'd have to charge~

. 

  


Suddenly, Kaline removed her arms from around his neck and spun around, pressing her back against his chest. She continued to dance, reaching up above her head to tangle her hands in her dance partner's hair. Within moments, she felt hot breath hitting her ear right before a set of teeth gently closed down on it. 

Kurama nibbled on the very tip of her ear before slowly working his way down to her lobe, enjoying the taste of her skin and the feel of her body against his. He did feel thankful that it was a dream, because he knew that he could never dance in real life like he was doing in the dream. 

  


. 

_ ~I have to see you on it_

You want me to teach thee

Techniques that freaks these boys

It can't be bought

just know, thieves get caught

Watch if your smart~

. 

  


Kaline moaned, closing her bright blue eyes as she rubbed her body against a certain part of his anatomy. _'Kami... what am I doing?'_ she wondered. _'Do I even care? Nope. I don't. It's not like we haven't done more intimate things.' _ Leaning her head back, she rested it against the male's muscular chest, her quickening breath escaping from between pink, parted lips. 

Eyes golden, Kurama swooped down and pressed his lips to hers, his tongue instantly entering her mouth. He continued to move with the girl as she returned the kiss with enthusiasm. She tasted sweet, like a mixture of candy and something else that he couldn't describe, and he loved the feel of her tongue playing with his. He wasn't sure if she tasted so wonderful in real life, but he was willing to bet that she did. 

  


. 

_ ~Lalalalala, _

warm it up

Lalalalala, 

the boys are waiting

  


Lalalalala, 

warm it up. 

Lalalalala, 

the boys are waiting. 

  


My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, 

And they're like it's better than yours. 

Damn right it's better than yours. 

I could teach you but I'd have to charge

  


My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, 

And they're like it's better than yours

Damn right it's better than yours

I could teach you but I'd have to charge~

. 

  


After a moment, Kurama let one of his hands trail down her hip to her thigh and finally to the area between her legs. He found a pair of shorts hidden under the skirt, but that didn't stop him from rubbing the sensitive spot through the material. 

Kaline gasped, arching against his touch. "Kurama!" she whispered in protest. "We're in public." 

"Not really, but if you'd rather I stop..." He put his hand back on her waist, placing a kiss at the base of her neck. 

  


. 

_ ~Oh once you get involved_

Everyone will look this way so

You must maintain your charm

Same time maintain your halo

Just get the perfect blend

plus what you have within

Then next his eyes are squared 

Then he's picked up your scent~

. 

  


"Don't stop," Kaline pleaded, using her grip on his hair to pull him back down to her neck. "Please." It had felt so good; she hadn't wanted it to end. 

Kurama chuckled, doing what she asked. He trailed hot kisses up and down her smooth neck. "Better?" he inquired before passionately kissing her on the lips. 

  


. 

_ ~Lalalalala, _

warm it up

Lalalalala, 

the boys are waiting

  


Lalalalala, 

warm it up

Lalalalala, 

the boys are waiting

  


My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, 

And they're like it's better than yours. 

Damn right it's better than yours. 

I could teach you but I'd have to charge

  


My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, 

And they're like it's better than yours

Damn right it's better than yours

I could teach you but I'd have to charge~ 

. 

  


Kurama drew away from her as the song ended, wanting to see how she would react to everything that had just happened. He was hoping for a positive response. 

"Yeah... Better," Kaline mumbled, bright blue eyes unfocused. 

"I love you," he whispered in her ear. "I wanted to tell you that when you asked me why I kept insisting that I was real. There's your answer. I love you." 

"Kami help me..." she replied. _'I belong in an insane asylum.' _"I love you too." 

  
  


* * *

  
  


* * *

  
  


CotA: This chappie is dedicated to Bijin-chan, who so kindly sent me a wonderful picture of Kurama dancing, which of course broke my writer's block so I could type up this chapter. Let's all cheer for Bijin-chan! *everyone cheers* Yippee!

Sess-chan: Now, the review responses are below.

Rei Akita: I will updated asap, really I will. you already know who to thank for this chappie.

Sam: Thanks. I was hoping at least one person would find it cute.

Freckles: Yes, Kurama is Youko as well. Many people tend to forget that, including me sometimes. I always remember that he has another form but... I usually forget that Youko can influence Suuichi's actions at times. And I can promise you one thing, the ending, well... at least the climax, will be interesting.

Bijin-chan: Thanks for the picture. I used it as inspiration for my new chappie. I think I wrote this entire chapter in... a whole hour. Not bad, huh?

Luraia Soul: Again, I am sorry about how short the last chapter was. Hopefully this one made up for it.

Passerby: I will update soon. Promise.

Rose Jade: Ideas? Oh geez, I have quite a few, some of which I know that I'll never get to. Email me, and I'll email at least one back to you. How does that sound? I'll be more than happy to help you any way I can.

Iloveinuyasha1029: Trust me on this, I'm not all that great of a writer. As I have said before, check out moonsilver or Striking Falcon or Sakura onto Hitomi. They're really good. Promise. Oh, Ruu-chan has an awesome story as well. It's an Inuyasha one. It's called "The Maid." 


	10. Chapter Ten

For Love of a "Pet"

Chapter Ten

Cassie giggled as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. "No, Kaline. Hiei and I are not eloping. Why did you even suggest that?" 

~It seems that way, considering how much you talk about him.~ The girl's voice came from the speakerphone that the dark brunette had dragged into the bathroom. ~You're making him out to be this perfect, amazing male who can kiss like a god.~ Laughter filled the area, and Cassie blushed. 

"What?" the blue-green eyed girl inquired defensively. "Hiei's a really good kisser." 

~You're silly,~ Kaline stated. ~What would Hiei say if he heard you gossiping about him?~ 

Cassie shrugged. "I don't know, but I don't think he'd care all that much. After all, it's a compliment." She applied a soft gold color to her eyelids, the shade complimenting her eyes and dark gray tank top with "star" spelled out in gold lettering on the front. 

~He came across as a rather private person... someone who keeps his cards close to his chest.~ She paused. ~I'm not sure if he'd like you talking about him so flippantly.~ 

"You're judging him too quickly," Cassie responded. "He'll talk if you prod him just right." 

~Or seduce him just right,~ Kaline shot back, her voice light and teasing. 

Cassie broke down in laughter. "Maybe... but I'm not going to tell you," she informed her friend once she had gotten herself under control. 

~Oh... so now you shut up.~ 

"Yep," she said with a smile, almost jumping when she heard a loud knock on her front door. "Well, I gotta go. Talk to you later." 

~Bye.~ 

"Bye-bye." Cassie pressed the end button on the phone and raced to her front door. A smile on anticipation on her face, she turned the knob and pulled. 

She found Hiei on her front porch, dressed in a pair of black boots, black pants, and a red muscle shirt, the shade matching his eyes perfectly. 

"Hey, Hiei," she greeted him brightly. "Just let me throw on a pair of shoes, and then I'll be ready to go." She threw open the door as wide as she could, silently giving him her permission to enter as she ran back to her room to find her shoes.

The fire demon waited patiently in her living room, his gaze wandering over her simple but nice furniture and beautiful paintings on the wall. All the pieces of artwork were signed by one person--Kaline Airashii. 

Hiei was studying the few glass sculptures on an end table when Cassie came back out. "I'm ready to go now," she stated. He nodded his head, and then they were out the door. 

After about five minutes of talking and polite conversation, Cassie asked Hiei a familiar question. "Could you teach me how to fight with a sword? I asked on our last date, but you weren't given a chance to answer." 

The koorime shrugged. "I don't see why not." He was actually pleased she would ask him something like that. _ 'She's smart enough to want to learn how to protect herself better. Good.' _ He smiled slightly. "Do you have any experience?"

"A little," she answered. "When I was very young, my father taught me a little bit of swordplay with a small blade. It's been so long that I've forgotten everything he taught me." 

"Then we will need to start with the basics," Hiei said. "Lessons will begin tomorrow morning at dawn." 

Cassie blinked a few times. "Dawn?" she repeated. "You've got to be joking." 

He shook his head. "No. Dawn." 

"Why dawn?" she wanted to know. "Wouldn't the afternoon or evening be better?" 

"I want to make sure that you're serious about learning how to sword fight," Hiei informed her. 

Cassie sighed. "Okay. Dawn it is."_ 'I'm nuts... completely and totally nuts. I'm going to get up before the sun does just so I can get my butt kicked by some guy.' _ She swept her eyes over Hiei's body. _'Okay... a really cute guy. It shouldn't be too bad... as long as I get to see him with his shirt off every so often.' _She smiled at that thought.

The conversation changed to a new subject, and Cassie and Hiei walked into the downtown area. As they passed a certain store, the fire demon stopped walking.

"Sweet snow," he said softly.

The dark brunette smiled as she came to stand beside him. "Oooh, ice-cream sounds pretty good." Giggling, she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. 

The ice-cream shop was busy, the many people milling about the place talking and eating ice-cream and yogurt in many different forms. Cassie guided Hiei to the end of the line, and she contentedly thought about what she wanted while she conversed with her date. 

After about ten minutes, they were at the front of the line. "I'll have a mint chocolate chip ice-cream cone," Cassie stated as she pointed to a tub of the cold, green-colored substance. 

"Okay," the man replied, using a large, white spoon to scoop the ice cream into a waffle cone. "And what will you be having, sir?"

"Oreo," Hiei answered simply. 

"Cone as well?"

"Yes." He nodded his head slightly to reinforce his answer. 

Once the worker handed the two their ice cream, they paid and left for the park, talking the whole way there.

The park was large and grassy with swings, slides, and other playground equipment spread out across the area and shaded by large trees. Flower patches lined tree-shaded walkways, and a small creek trickled along the eastern border. The place was picturesque and quaint, probably because the city poured so much money into it; however, no one was in the park at the moment, at least in the section Hiei and Cassie were wandering around in. 

Contentedly eating their snack, the two chatted. After a little bit, Cassie sat down on the merry-go-round as she finally finished off her cone. She loved ice-cream, and it never took her long to eat one. Hiei, on the other hand, was still working on his. He was savoring the flavor. 

When the fire-demon sat down next to her, she gently kicked at the ground, sending the merry-go-round spinning at a slow pace.

"Kaline and I are going to see the fireworks at the river on Thursday. Do you want to come with?" Cassie inquired, moving so that her thigh was pressed firmly against his. 

Hiei shrugged. "Hn. I guess so." _'As long as I get to be with you,' _he mentally added. 

"We're meeting at Kaline's place at eight at night. Do you remember where it is?" 

"Hn. Yes."

Cassie watched a bit of ice-cream trickle down from the corner of his mouth. Instinctively, she leaned over close to him, her tongue darting out to lick his skin clean. "Yummm... Hiei a la mode." She took one last look at his wide, bright red eyes, smiled, and then kissed him full on the mouth. As she kissed him, she could taste the oreo ice cream, but underneath it was the pure masculine flavor of the fire demon. 

The rest of his ice-cream cone forgotten, Hiei returned the kiss with enthusiasm. Within moments, he began to trace her lips with his tongue, asking for entrance; she gave it to him. 

They dueled, fighting passionately for dominance. Their hot tongues intertwined and explored each other's mouths, leaving them both with glowing eyes. Slowly, Hiei began to win; however, before the victor was decided, the fire demon withdrew to nip at her ear and kiss his way down her bare neck. 

Suddenly, he came back to reality, finding his ice-cream melted all over his hand. 

Cassie smiled wickedly, moved his cold snack to his clean hand, and brought the sticky hand to her lips. She licked his fingers first, but soon she moved to sticking the entire digit in her mouth and sucking it clean. 

As she slowly lavished his fingers with her tongue, Hiei watched her with glowing eyes, a rumble growing in the back of his throat. It sounded like a purr, and Cassie instantly decided that she liked that sound. 

Once she was done bathing his hand, she scooped up a little of his ice-cream with her index finger and offered it to him. The male koorime did lick her finger clean, but he quickly abandoned it in favor of her mouth. 

They kissed for only a few minutes longer when they heard an "Ewwwww." Slightly embarrassed, they parted, quickly noticing two small boys there. The boys had short brown hair, and they appeared to be no older than eight or nine. 

"Girls have cooties," one stated, pointing at Cassie. 

"Yeah!" The other nodded his head sagely, obviously in total agreement with his friend. 

Cassie laughed while Hiei looked a little lost. He didn't have a clue what cooties were; however, if cooties were a good thing, then he was pretty sure that the beautiful girl had them. 

"C'mon, Hiei," she said, still laughing. "We'd better get going before we give them any ideas." _'We also better go before they comment on our eyes.' _ She took his free hand and gently led him away, leaving the children alone to play. 

The two walked around for a while, talking as Hiei finished off his ice-cream. Eventually, Cassie checked her watch and sighed. "I need to get going. Sorry, but I have a few errands to run." She smiled in apology. "So, I guess I'll see you Thursday at Kaline's place?" 

Hiei nodded. "Yeah. You will." 

"Good." Cassie gave him a quick kiss good-bye. "See ya!" Then, she raced away. 

The fire demon smiled slightly, feeling slightly drugged on the taste of the female's lips. _'See you.' _After quickly glancing in the direction that Cassie had gone, he walked off. _ 'See you very soon.' _

  


"Come here, Youko," Kaline cajoled in a sweet voice as she beckoned for him to come to her. "You're long overdue for a bath, so come here." She knelt down and held her arms open. "Please?" 

Kurama chuckled silently to himself. The girl was so strange, so very strange. She was trying to convince what she thought was a fox to come to her so she could give it a bath. _ 'Should I act like a true fox and back away, or should I be the pet and go to her?' _Kurama debated, cocking his head slightly to one side. _ 'Although, it would be nice to be clean.' _Coming to a decision, he went to Kaline and jumped into her waiting arms. 

She smiled brightly. "Good boy!" she exclaimed, standing up. "I'm so proud of you." She carried him into the bathroom and placed in him the already filled tub. 

He stood in the warm water, the liquid coming up to his belly. A few toys floated around in the water, including a yellow rubber ducky and a small toy boat. He contented himself with pushing the boat around with his nose while Kaline laughed.

"Grande Dios sobre!" She shook her head, blue-gray eyes sparkling with joy. "Unbelievable. Youko, you are one of the most entertaining animals I have ever taken care of." She giggled for a few moments longer before she forced herself to calm down. "Let's get you clean. You can finish playing once I'm done."

Kaline guided the fox to the center of the tub, grabbed a large plastic cup, filled it with some of the water from the tub, and dumped it over Kurama's back. She repeated that a few more times and then brought out the shampoo. 

Kurama held perfectly still as she washed his fur coat, surprising her beyond belief. She had expected him to fight her. The bath was over in record time, and she allowed the fox to romp around in the tub for a while.

_'This isn't so bad. I'm entertaining Kaline and having some fun myself. It's nice being able to do something simple like this... relaxing too,' _Kurama thought. _ 'It's like being a child again.' _

Finally, Kaline drained the tub, dried the fox off, and then prepared herself for bed. A few hours later, she crawled into bed, Kurama at her side. 

  


Kaline gave a small smile as she gazed at her surroundings. She was on a balcony overlooking a beautiful garden full of fountains, flowers, and trees. Also, she was sitting on a comfortable chair at a small, candlelit table, dressed in a silvery-blue, low-cut evening gown that clung to her like a second skin. The full moon shone down on her, bathing her and everything else in a soft silver-white light. 

"Beautiful..." she whispered to herself, picking up a crystal wine glass and taking a sip of the red liquid "Very good wine too." She looked down at her empty silver plate and caught a glimpse of her reflection. 

Blinking, she took another look. "I've been done up like some kind of model." She sounded surprised. 

Her hair had been twisted into the most elegant bun she had ever seen or imagined, with small curled locks hanging loose for accent. Also, she had on make-up, something she rarely did unless she had to. Sapphire earrings winked in her earlobes, and an intricate silver and sapphire necklace hung around her neck. 

"Dear Kami!" Kaline muttered under her breath. "I look fancy tonight." 

Graceful classical music began to float around her, making her look up from the table. 

The sight of Kurama in a black tuxedo greeted her eyes, and she just stared at him for a moment. "You look very handsome," she said honestly, giving him a soft smile. _ 'And that was such an understatement.' _

"And you're breathtaking." The redhead walked up to the table, took her hand in his, and brushed his lips against her knuckles.

She blushed. "Thank you." She watched the male sit down in a chair across from her. "And are you going to tell me what the deal is with all of this?" She gestured to their surroundings. "This is, after all, supposedly your dream world." _'Not that it couldn't be mine as well. I could very easily have created this place.' _

"I like it, don't you?" he responded simply. "Besides, I wanted to see you dressed up just once." 

"Well... I can't say I didn't think the same about you." Kaline self-consciously smoothed out her skirt, her eyes on her lap out of embarrassment. "You look very nice in a tux." A light blush stained her cheeks. 

"Since you were dressed up, I had to do the same to be fair," Kurama commented, taking a sip of his wine. He had noticed her blush and was secretly pleased with it. _ 'So I impressed her. Good. I was hoping to do that.'_

"So... what are we going to do?" she asked, bringing her eyes back up to meet his. "We're all dressed up and in this romantic place. It'd be a shame to waste our time here and do absolutely nothing." 

"I was thinking about dinner and then exploring this place a little," he answered, pointing at the mansion. 

Kaline nodded her head in agreement. "Sounds good. If the inside is as nice as the outside, then I most definitely wanna see it. I'm sure it's beautiful." 

"I'm know that it can't be anywhere near as beautiful as you," the redhead responded, a small smile on his face. 

Blushing again, the brunette looked down at her plate to find it full of food. "Huh?" She paused. "Things certainly like appearing all of a sudden around here, but I suppose that's your doing." She gave him an accusing look. 

"Guilty as charged," Kurama stated, smiling. 

"That's not all you're guilty of," she retorted with a playful glint in her eyes. 

The kitsune blinked in surprise. "Well... aren't you going to list my transgressions?" _'I want to hear this. The list is going to be amusing since it's Kaline saying it.' _

She smiled mischievously and nodded. "You're guilty of being too good looking for words, of acting so gentle that you put every guy I've ever met to shame, of being a sweet-talker, AND..." She paused for a dramatic effect. "You're guilty of stuffing me into this revealing, elegant, absolutely gorgeous, too-expensive-for-the-queen-of-England dress." 

Kurama laughed, finding her immensely entertaining, just like he had expected. "Should I apologize?" 

"Hmmm... no. I don't think so. You probably wouldn't mean it if you did," Kaline replied, looking back down at her plate. "Well, shall we eat?" 

"Yes." He nodded and then took the first bite. 

The two ate their meal, discussing little things as they did so. They exchanged funny stories about their friends and talked about college. Kaline told Kurama a little about her job, but the kitsune did not do the same. He wasn't sure how she would react to hearing that he was a spirit detective for Koenma; however, he did tell her a little about some of the jobs he wanted. 

When they were done eating, the remainder of the meal disappeared and the redhead stood up. The girl did the same.

"Shall we go exploring now?" Kurama asked, offering his arm to Kaline like a lord would offer to a lady. 

"Yes, please," she responded, taking his hand instead of linking her arm with his. She intertwined her fingers with his, smiling, and began to tug him in the direction of the doors to the house. 

He allowed her to pull him around as she marveled at the interior of the mansion. She explored the second floor first, gazing in wonder at the library, the billiard's room, the study, the office, the exercise room, the sitting room, and a few other useless rooms that were nameless. Then, she investigated the first floor, taking a mere glance at the kitchens, the living rooms, and the dining rooms; however, she spent at least twenty minutes in the gigantic ballroom, admiring the artwork that had been painted on the ceiling. 

"Is this it? Have I seen all of the house?" Kaline wanted to know, staring up at the gigantic crystal chandelier hanging directly above her head. She loved how it sparkled and flashed in the light. 

"There's a third floor," the kitsune told her.

"Is there a fourth floor?" she asked, sounding inquisitive. Her gaze went from the chandelier to the finely-dressed male. 

"No, not unless you want to count the roof," he answered, wondering if her curiosity had any boundaries. 

She shrugged at that. "Okay then, to the third floor."

Kurama followed her out of the ballroom and up the stairs, admiring the view that Kaline presented to him. The girl walked into a few rooms, briefly looked at them, and then walked out. The redhead just waited out in the hallway for her, following her to the outside of all the rooms. 

When Kaline opened a door at the end of one of the hallways, she gave a small gasp. 

"What is it?" Kurama inquired, curious. Something had surprised the girl, and he wanted to know what had done that.

"Dear Kami..." She stepped into the room and gestured for the redhead to do the same. "Please tell me this is your doing." She gestured at the room, her eyes filled with wonderment. 

The room was the large master bedroom. A king-sized bed with dark-blue silk sheets sat in the middle of the floor, the headboard against one wall. By the bed, a bottle of wine rested in a bucket of ice, and a bowl of grapes with two wineglasses had been set on the nearby mahogany nightstand. Lit red-colored candles flickered from their places all around the room, giving the area an intimate glow. 

Kurama turned to look at her. "Ummm... I plead the fifth." 

Kaline laughed. "It's okay. I like the room. It's just... well... I wanted to make sure that I hadn't created this place. I'd be worried if I had." She placed a quick kiss on his cheek and walked around the room, admiring the artful, rose-shaped candles. 

Curious, she went into the connecting master bath, giggling when she saw it. A huge Jacuzzi sat in the middle of the floor, filled with slightly steaming water, red rose petals floating on the surface. More rose-shaped candles had been set around the Jacuzzi in a circle, casting a soft glow about the room. 

Coming out of the bathroom, Kaline smiled at Kurama. "The bathroom and bedroom match," she commented, giggling again.

"Aren't they supposed to?" he countered, pouring the wine into two crystal glasses. He handed one of them to her, keeping one for himself.

Kaline accepted the wine. "I'm not sure. Maybe..." She shrugged. "I do have to admit that it's kinda cute."

"Cute?" the redhead repeated, raising an eyebrow at her._ 'Since when is a place set up for a person's seduction cute?' _

She blushed slightly. "Sorry. Habit," she admitted in her defense. "I am a girl, so I do have the right to say it." 

"Yes, you are most definitely a girl." His suggestive tone made her blush an even brighter red. 

The blue-gray eyed girl sat down at the edge of the bed, slowly sipping the wine. "So, we've had a wonderful meal and explored the house.... What's next? What do we do now? Are we going to explore the garden out back?"

"I have a few ideas, but exploring the garden is not one of them," Kurama answered, sitting down next to her. He took the wine glass out of her hand and set it down with his on the nightstand, and then he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her. 

"So... what are they?" she asked naively, turning her head around to look him in the eyes. 

He flashed her a quick smile that melted her insides. "One is this." The kitsune kissed her deeply, probingly, his tongue dueling with hers. He loved the sweet taste of her, and he felt like he could never get his fill of the flavor of her mouth. 

Kaline twisted in his lap (eliciting a groan out of him in the process) until her chest was pressed against his, her legs off to the side. As she kissed him, her hands loosened his bow-tie and tried to push his jacket off of him; Kurama helped her, feeling hot in the tuxedo. 

After a few minutes, Kurama's chest was bare and he was working on undoing Kaline's dress, all while kissing her. He found the zipper that went down the middle of her back and unzipped it. When the blue-eyed female didn't protest, he broke off the kissing and pulled the top of the dress down, watching it settle around her waist. 

The female blushed, lowering her eyes. She knew that she had no right to blush around him, especially since he had already seen her naked; however, she couldn't help it. It was a habit that she just couldn't seem to break. 

Placing a finger under her chin and using it to raise her gaze back to his, he kissed her forehead. "You're beautiful." 

"Thank you." Her blush deepened, but she fought it back and pressed her lips to his, allowing her instincts and emotions to carry her away. 

  


An hour later, Kaline found herself in the Jacuzzi, resting on Kurama's lap. _ 'He looks pretty darn pleased with himself,' _she thought, running her hands over his chest muscles. _'Well... after everything we did, I suppose he has a right to be.' _

"How are you feeling?" the redhead asked, sounding a little concerned. _'I hope that I didn't hurt her, even if this is only a dream.' _

The blue-eyed placed a kiss on his neck, enjoying the taste of his skin. "Really good," she answered. "Relaxed, too." She gave him a small smile before returning to nip and lick the sensitive skin near his collar bone. 

Kurama groaned, placing his hands on her hips, drawing her closer. 

"Round two?" Kaline inquired, wriggling a little against him. She didn't receive a clear verbal response, but the non-verbal one was unmistakable. 

  


When Kaline finally awoke, she sighed in disappointment, reaching out to Youko for comfort. She sat up in bed and carefully placed him in her lap, petting him, her movements slow. 

"I wish that Kurama was real. If he was, then I believe my life would be complete." The brunette sighed again, closing her eyes as she shook her head, the gesture filled with sadness. 

_'Give me time,' the kitsune thought, nuzzling her hand. __ 'I'll show you just how real I am soon enough.' _

  
  


* * *

  
  


* * *

  
  
CotA: Hey, Everyone! Well, this was a VERY long chapter... over 4,000 words. Not bad, huh?

Sess-chan: She started a new zoids story too. It's on mm.org because it's illegal on ff.net

CotA: It's a lemon fic that RL Cassie and I have co-written. It's called Trapped in the Desert, and we would love some feedback. :) Thanks.

Sess-chan: The review responses are below.

Bijin-chan: Yes, a whole chappie dedicated to you. You certainly earned it.

Rei Akita: I'll update soon.

Neolannia: Don't worry. I have a vast majority of the story already written. There's just pieces missing here and there... sometimes large pieces.

PWA: I'll update asap, promise.

Sam: Sorry you didn't like the song, but I just kinda felt like using it. I am glad you liked the rest of it.

Luraia Soul: I'm gonna try sending it one more time. I played with a few of my settings, and I think I got it to work. If not, I'm sorry.

Freckles: Yes, I wrote that in a hour. Not quite sure how though. And as for future stuff, I'm not telling. *smiles evilly* It's my secret. OH, and RL Cassie's too.

Rose Jade: I don't mind. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

For Love of a "Pet" 

Chapter Eleven

Cassie rolled over and slammed her fist on top of her loud, obnoxious alarm clock. A cracking sound followed the pounding, and she winced, cracking one eye open to view the damage. The alarm clock was in pieces. "Well, there goes another one," she said with a sigh. "You'd think that people would have come out with demon-proof alarm clocks by now."

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she climbed out of bed at stared at the still dark sky. "I'm an idiot... a complete idiot for agreeing to get up at this stupid hour." She continued to grumble as she took a quick shower, got dressed and ate breakfast.

"Dawn. Why dawn? Wouldn't midnight have been better? He seems to be just as much as a night owl as I am." Cassie shook her head, noticing that the eastern part of the sky was finally beginning to turn lighter. "Hiei should be here soon."

With that thought on her mind, she went to her hall closet and pulled a long object wrapped completely in paper out of the back. She unrolled the package, finally revealing a sheathed sword that was about the same size as Hiei's katana had been. The ocean blue hilt was artfully decorated with ancient-looking siren designs, the sheath covering the etchings that continued onto the surface of the blade. 

Cassie smiled softly and carried the sword outside with her. She sat down on her front porch and resigned herself to wait.

As the first sun's rays broke over the horizon, Hiei appeared, dressed in all black with his sword already in his hand. Without even giving the girl a chance to stand up, he charged at her.

_'What in the world?!' _The brunette eye's widened, and she brought up the sheathed sword as quickly as she could. "Ow!" She felt the force behind the fire demon's strike all down her arms, and she dropped the weapon in surprise. Before she could pick the weapon back up, she felt a cool piece of metal under her chin. _'I'm not so sure this is fun anymore. He never mentioned anything about attacking me before I was ready; however, he is taking this serious... very serious. I guess that this method does make sense. Still, I wish he had a different teaching method.' _

"Never drop your weapon," Hiei stated. "And you were holding your sword wrong." He pulled his blade away from her neck and allowed her to move again. "Pick it up, and I'll show you the correct way to put your hands." 

_'That's it? No apology for just attacking me without warning? I'll get him back for that later.' _Cassie glared at him and then did as he said, and soon he was showing her exactly what she needed to do. 

  


* * *

  


Loki stared down at two people, a man and a woman, practicing with swords. They appeared to not notice him,, and he smiled evilly at that.

"Mistress," he whispered. "The one in black is an associate of the kitsune. Should I do anything?" He paused, as if listening to the wind. "But, Mistress, there are two demons down there! Fenrir isn't strong enough to take on both of them himself."

He winced, acting like someone was yelling at him. As he cringed, his mind recalled his long torture that he had suffered through because of his past failures. "As you wish, Mistress." The demon bowed his head in submission and vanished. 

  


* * *

  


Cassie gasped as Hiei came at her once again, his sword positioned to strike her down. She raised her own weapon to block the attack, praying that she would succeed, and she barely moved her naked blade into position in time. 

Her sword sang when Hiei's weapon struck it, the sound vibrating through the air. The fire demon hesitated for a brief moment before swinging at Cassie again. She stepped back and moved her sword to meet his. _'I'm getting better! I didn't drop my weapon!' _she thought happily.

Hiei's eyes flashed as the almost musical sound of connecting swords rang throughout the area. Scowling, he made a few quick movements, and Cassie suddenly found herself on the ground, the tip of Hiei's blade an inch away from her throat. Her own weapon lay halfway across the yard.

"Okay... you win, Hiei," the brunette stated, feeling a little sad that she had lost the fight again. "Can I get up now?" 

The fire demon stepped back, bringing his blade to rest at his side. "What kind of sword is that?" he asked, frowning. The sounds it had made were strange, especially since they had made him feel exactly like he did whenever he kissed Cassie. "Where did you get it?"

Cassie stood up. "It was my mother's sword--her weapon of choice," she answered. "It's called the Siren Sword, and that's all I know about it."

"Hn." Hiei walked over and reached down to pick up the fallen blade, wanting to inspect it. Before his hand could encircle the handle, blue light flashed and the sound of beautiful watery singing filled the air. Her jerked his hand away, surprise on his face. _ 'What was that?!' _

"Are you okay?" she inquired, worry apparent on her lovely features as she ran up to check on the male.

"Yes," the koorime stated, blinking a few times. He had never experienced anything like what the sword had just put him through.

"What happened?" Cassie cautiously reached down and picked up her sword, apprehension in her movements. She sighed in relief when nothing occurred.

"I-" Hiei cut himself off, his attention turning to the sky. His gaze quickly lit on the roof of a nearby house.

Cassie followed his gaze. "Oh my..."

A black wolf the size of a horse was standing on the red shingles no more than fifty feet away from her. Bright orange eyes stared straight into her blue-green ones, making her shiver. The wolf was an evil demon, and a rather powerful one on top of that. The power that radiated from him felt dark and damp to her, and that worried her. She was class C, while the wolf was a little above her... maybe class B. If she fought against him, she would most likely lose.

"Hiei... we can't fight it here... in the open," she whispered. "It's dawn, so my neighbors who are actually awake might overlook sword fighting, but not a giant black wolf!"

The fire demon nodded his head, although he really didn't see what the big deal was. "Where is a private place we can use?"

Cassie thought for a few minutes, her eyes on the wolf who was pacing back and forth, as if he was thinking over his attack plan. "North of here there's a part of town that's old and abandoned. There's very few people there, if any. That's the closest place."

Without saying another word, Hiei took off. Cassie briefly caught sight of him striking out at the space in front of the wolf demon before continuing to run off. Howling in anger, the evil demon ran after the koorime.

"He just left me here..." The brunette frowned, set down her sword, and then began to race after the other two. "He might need my help, and he just left!" _ 'Idiot!' _

  


* * *

  


"Mistress, Fenrir will not survive through this battle alone," Loki stated, watching Hiei and the wolf demon begin to fight in a run down section of town. The already crumbling buildings were quickly becoming in even worse shape due to the fighters. The man in black kept hurling Fenrir into the unstable structures, much to Loki's disappointment. 

"Please, may I help him?" He winced, slightly curling in on himself. "Forgive me, Mistress. I did not mean to anger you. I will return to your side immediately." Mentally sighing, he vanished. 

  


* * *

  


When Cassie found the place where Hiei was, she was greeted by the sight of a large black wolf flying toward her. She reacted automatically by hitting the ground, allowing the huge shape to fly over her. The demon whizzed over her head, and she heard the wind rush by her as he did so. She didn't stand back up until she heard a small crash that meant the flying wolf had collided with something. A half second later, a louder crash followed, signaling that a building had fell down around the demon's ears.

"That could not have been very pleasant," she commented softly, glancing over her shoulder at the crumbled building before concentrating on finding Hiei. It didn't take her long to spot him. He was in the center of the area of destruction, a serious expression on his face. He was obviously still in fighter mode... not that Cassie minded. She thought he looked kind of cute when he scowled.

"Cassie, move it!" he shouted right as she heard the sounds of moving rubble.

Eyes wide, she began to turn around. _'There's no way he could have survived that. There's absolutely no way. He has to be dead,' _she thought, but unfortunately, she was wrong. The wolf demon had survived. "Shit! Tsunami wave!"

Water rushed out of her hands, the powerful stream looking like it had come out of a large fire hose about a foot in diameter. The blast hit the demon head on, throwing him back about ten feet and soaking him from head to foot. Other than that, it didn't have much of an effect.

The wolf demon stood back up on all fours and shook the water out of his black fur coat just like a dog would, looking almost completely unfazed by the attack. Before he finished shaking, Hiei appeared in front of him, his sword flashing in the sunlight.

Before Cassie could blink, the fire demon swung his sword seventeen times, each attack hitting home. He moved away as the demon slumped to the ground. _'He shouldn't have attacked her,' _he thought. _'He would have lived longer if he hadn't.' _

Orange eyes filled with venom stared at Hiei as blood began to cover the ground with a thick coat of dark red. "If you truly were a strong demon, you would have been able to kill me sooner," the wolf demon stated, the words sounding strange coming from a long mouth loaded with fangs. "When you meet my brother, you will not live long. He will slaughter you."

With a painful shudder, he ceased to breath. His eyes closed, and his whole body went limp. The wolf demon had died.

"What was he talking about?" Cassie wondered as she took a few steps back from the spreading blood. "Who's his brother? Why did he attack us?"

Hiei shrugged. "He was a fool to attack me," he stated, sheathing his sword. The blood didn't seem to bother him. "And I plan to find out the answers to those questions."

"Okay then... what do we do with the body?" She moved back a couple more feet. "We can't just leave a horse-sized wolf in the middle of _any_ street, especially since you guys just destroyed about half the buildings in this area."

"Burn it." Hiei's fist was suddenly encased in fire, and his eyes matched the color. With a calm expression on his face, he quickly punched at the fallen wolf's form, the fire leaving his fist to engulf the target. The dark flames devoured the body, and within moments, the dead creature was nothing but ash.

Cassie sighed. "I guess we leave now." She didn't feel bad for the demon; after all, it had attacked her, but she didn't want to stick around to see what happened to his gray remains.

"I need to talk to Koenma," the fire demon stated, bringing her full attention to him.

She suddenly noticed that he had quite a bit of blood on him and his garments; it just didn't show up all that well on his black clothes. "Oh my. Hiei... look at yourself!" She pointed at his clothes and body. While the blood wasn't apparent on his attire, she could easily see the blood against his skin, and his clothes had a few rips in them, obviously from a creature with claws and teeth that had moved in a little too close a few times.

Hiei glanced down at what he had on. "My clothes have been in worse condition."

Cassie shook her head, fighting back a sigh. "Can they be machine washed?" she inquired as she grabbed his hand and began to drag him back to her house.

"I... don't see why not." He frowned, wondering what was going through the girl's head. She was acting so strangely.

"Good. I can throw them in the washer while you take a shower and get all the blood off of you," Cassie said firmly.

Hiei just sighed and let her lead him back to her house. 

  


* * *

  


Cassie put some clean towels and clothes in the bathroom, gesturing for Hiei to enter after she did so. "Just toss your dirty clothes into the basket right outside the door. I'll get them clean while you take a shower. The soap and shampoo are in the shower already. Use them if you want." With that said, she disappeared out of the bathroom.

After glancing around the cheerful, light blue bathroom with its gray marble sink and combo medicine cabinet and mirror, Hiei inspected the shower. It was a dual tub and shower, and without much work, he figured out how to operate it. Then, he did what Cassie wanted, throwing his blood covered clothes into the plastic laundry basket in the hallway and then stepping into the shower.

He stayed in the shower until the water going down the drain was no longer pink. Then, he shut off the water, climbed out, and pulled on the blue and white plaid pants and black button-down shirt. He scowled at the clothes, but he decided not to worry about it too much.

Hiei exited the bathroom and began to wander around, looking for Cassie. He found her in the living room, a sketch pad in her lap and a pencil in her hand. She was focused on what was in front of her, the pencil moving at an amazing speed.

Curious, the fire demon sat down on the couch next to her, leaning over so he could see what she was doing. She was drawing what looked like a rather simple female human figure in an elaborate dress.

"Not bad," he commented.

Cassie jumped at the sound of his voice. "Oh! You surprised me, Hiei." She put a hand over her racing heart. "I think you enjoy doing that." She paused, remembering what he had said. "Oh, yes. Thank you for the compliment. I do try hard... especially since I make part of my living off of fashion design."

"Do you only do dresses?" Hiei asked.

She shook her head. "No." She flipped back a few pages to show him some of her other designs. "Actually, I'll just let you look through that while I toss your clothes into the dryer."

"How long will it take for them to dry?" he wanted to know as he accepted the sketch book from her.

Shrugging, she stood up. "Ninety minutes at least." She walked off, smiling, with the image of Hiei's wide red eyes in her mind. 

  


* * *

  


Cassie came back into the living room to find Hiei slowly examining each and every page of her sketch book, his red eyes studying each drawing. With a smile on her face, she yawned and sat down next to him. "What do you think?"

"I like some ideas better than others," he answered. "But I haven't seen all of them yet."

"Okay." She yawned again, leaning her head on Hiei's shoulder. _'I guess staying up late and waking up early finally caught up with me. That's just great,' _she thought. _ 'Well, I guess I could rest my eyes for a few moments.' _She closed her eyes and just listened to Hiei's steady breathing. Without realizing it, she allowed the rhythmic sound lull her asleep. 

Hiei didn't notice that Cassie had fallen asleep on him until he finished looking at all her drawings. He allowed a small smile to play across his face as he examined her angelic features, one of his hand coming up to trace the edge of her face and lips. _'She's beautiful.' _

After a few moments, he decided to not wake her, so he moved a little until he was comfortable. _ 'It can't hurt to take a short nap. After all, my clothes aren't dry yet.' _Then, he fell asleep himself.

  
  


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CotA: Well, this is great. Two... maybe three more chapters, and things are going to become rather... interesting.

Sess-chan: Yes, interesting is one way to put it; however, I would describe it differently.

CotA: I'm sure you would. You're the muse who gave me the ideas for the rest of this fic.

Sess-chan: Of course. The short muse only likes to torture Kagome.

CotA: *pats Sess-chan on the head* Yes, you're a good boy... although I'm not sure how many people will agree at the end of the story.

Sess-chan: Oh well. I do not care what they think.

CotA: I kinda figured that.

Sess-chan: The review responses are below.

Luraia Soul: You're welcome. I'm just glad I could share the wonderful pic. :)

PWA: Yeah... he was a little sly in that chapter, planning out Kaline's seduction. But, hey. He is a guy.

Neolannia: Post faster? I'm writing these chapters as fast as my muses will allow. Sorry. I do try to update at least once a week.

Bijin-chan: Well then, tell Sumi-chan thank you for me. You still deserve some thanks as well, because you were the one who sent it to me. ^_^ *hugs Bijin-chan* I still have the pic, and I plan on keeping it for a while. I'm even going to try drawing it eventually.

Passerby: I will update as soon as I can.

Rei Akita: Thanks for reviewing.

Sam: I understand. I am sorry about the lack in action. I kinda hope this chapter made up for it and explained why there was a slight stalling. And while you're an action girl at heart, I'm more of a romance/action girl at heart. BTW, I believe a few more chapters and I'll get to the serious action. ^_^


	12. Chapter Twelve

For Love of a "Pet"

Chapter Twelve

Cassie awoke to find herself lying on a muscular body, a chin resting against the top of her head. She blinked a few times as her brain slowly began to function once again. _ 'Oh, yes. I fell asleep on the couch with my head on Hiei's shoulder. I remember now,' _she thought with a smile. That was a rather fond memory, especially since the male hadn't said a word in protest... not that she had expected him to.

Trying not to wake the fire demon, she carefully climbed off of him, sliding down to the carpeted floor. She looked up at him, assuring herself that he was still sleeping._ 'He looks kinda sweet, almost harmless,' _she mused, smiling sweetly at him. _'He may not be harmless when he's awake, but he looks angelic when he's sleeping.' _ She admired him, eyes sweeping up and down his body, examining every inch of him. When she was done, she came to a conclusion--he was beyond hott.

The brunette absently glanced at the clock, and her eyes became wide._ 'I'm going to be late! I'm supposed to be at an exotic zoo in an hour!' _ She quickly raced back to her room, changing into a pair of black jeans and a sleeveless blouse. Then she washed her face, grabbed a fruit and grain bar, and wrote a note to Hiei, leaving it where he would see it.

"Sorry, love, but I have to go." Cassie lightly brushed her lips against his, briefly wishing that he was awake so she could have a proper kiss, and then sprinted out the door. 

  


* * *

  


Hiei awoke, immediately looking around for Cassie; however, he didn't see her, much to his disappointment. Also, he couldn't sense her anywhere in the house; he was the only demon in the vicinity, which meant that Cassie had left while he had been sleeping. She had left without waking him up to say good-bye. He did see a piece of paper with a bit of writing on it resting on the coffee table. Frowning, he picked it up and read it.

_Hiei,  
Sorry I had to leave, but I had to go to work. Your clothes should be done by the time you wake up. The laundry room is downstairs through a door on your right. I hope you slept good, because I sure did. We'll have to try that again, especially since I've never slept so well. You have a nice shoulder and chest. Take care, and I'll see you tomorrow at Kaline's house.  
Love,  
Cassie_  


He smiled at the sleeping comment, found a pen, and scrawled a quick message in response. Then, he changed clothes and left.

  


* * *

  


Cassie came back home around nine at night. After the exotic zoo, she had visited three other places, each in different towns. She was exhausted, and her feet hurt from all the walking. There were times she loved her job with MARS, and then there were times she thought she could do without it. At the moment, she was leaning toward the latter opinion.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she shut the front door and kicked off her muddy shoes, leaving them on the small mat. "Dear Kami, if I ever have to do that many tours, I'll collapse right in front of everyone," she muttered darkly under her breath, shaking her head sadly. "Especially if each and every one is perfectly clean, and all the animals are well taken care of."

Sighing, she walked into her living room, half-hoping to see Hiei there, even though her common sense said that he had to have left hours ago and she couldn't sense. He wasn't there, but she did find her note with a short message written underneath it.

Curious, Cassie picked up the piece of paper and read what had been written on it.

_Cassie,  
I got my clothes from the dryer. We'll continue training tomorrow at dawn, so be prepared for me with your sword already drawn.  
I did sleep good.  
Hiei_  


Cassie smiled softly, happy that he had taken the time to at least write something in response, even though it wasn't the best thing she had ever read. _ 'It's not exactly a sweet love letter, but for him, it's probably pretty damn good,' _she thought to herself, finding herself unable to picture the fire demon writing a romantic love letter. _'But why do we have to have training at dawn? Haven't I already proven myself?' _ She sighed. _ 'I'll have to talk to him about that, maybe get practice time changed to... oh, I don't know... ten in the evening or something. I think it'd be fun try fighting at night.' _

Still grinning, she went back to her room, got ready for bed, crawled under the covers, and quickly fell asleep to have some of the best dreams she had ever had. She dreamed of Hiei.

br>

* * *

  


In the morning, Hiei and Cassie practiced with their words just like the had the last time. Fortunately, they had no interruptions, and the female water demon learned quite a bit during her lesson... not that the koorime gave her any choice in the matter.

In the afternoon, the fire demon left after promising that he would see her at eight in front of Kaline's house. He went to Reikai with a few things on his mind. Although he didn't really like Koenma, he had a few questions for the short ruler, some of which were about the wolf demon, but another was about Cassie's blade.

The Siren Sword kept having a strange effect on him, and he couldn't concentrate whenever it made the watery, song-like noises. He knew that the sword was special. He just didn't know how or why it was so special; however, he planned on finding out.

Hiei walked into Koenma's office, glaring at the onis who stared at him, obviously surprised to see him there. He wasn't known for visiting Reikai unless the tiny ruler called for him.

"Well, Hiei, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Koenma asked, somehow talking around his pacifier in a clear, child-like voice. He was standing on top of his desk, pulling some papers off of a tall stack of paperwork.

"I have some questions," the fire demon stated. "And you're going to answer them."

King Yama's son shrugged at that, completely used to the threats. "I'll do what I can."

"An idiotic black wolf demon attacked me yesterday," Hiei informed the toddler. "Do you have any information you can give me?"

"Hmmm..." Koenma's expression turned thoughtful. "I've never heard of a black wolf demon. I always thought they were brown or white. I'll have to check our files." He hopped off of his desk to shout at a few of the onis outside of his office. At least three of the demons began running around, rushing to do what their boss had bid them.

"And I want all the information you have on the Siren Sword," the black-haired koorime added.

The short boy's eyes became wide. "You've seen it? Where? Who had it?"

Hiei blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected the toddler to react that way. "A girl has it. I saw it yesterday," he answered.

"Do you know her name?" Hope filled his light brown eyes. 

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"That sword's been missing for over two thousand years," Koenma said. "It was supposed to be a gift from a powerful demon king to his mistress, so she could protect herself against all males."

"Is that all you know?" Hiei sounded a little disappointed, but his tone was more cold and condescending than anything.

"No, it's not. That sword could be dangerous in the wrong hands," the ruler of the spirit world retorted. "No males can touch it, and a female can make the sword sing like a siren, rendering all males within hearing range completely useless. Since most of the spirit detectives are male..." He winced. "Well, it would be disastrous if an evil female used it." 

The fire demon thought over that information for a few moments. "Cassie has it," he stated.

"Cassie?" Koenma repeated. "Is she a water demon?" 

"Yes." Once again, Hiei was a little surprised that the other male had even heard of the girl. She wasn't all that strong, and she wasn't evil, so he didn't see why anyone in a high place would be all that interested in her. Well, he could actually. She was beyond beautiful, and he figured that would be enough to cause any male to take interest in her. 

The short ruler breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm okay then. She won't abuse the power." He paused. "Actually, I think her mother had it for a few centuries, but I can't quite remember. Perhaps..."

Hiei shook his head and left, leaving Koenma to debate the past of the sword with the walls. 

  


* * *

  


Fifteen minutes before eight in the evening found Kaline outside in a pair of flared jeans and a tight t- shirt, Kurama curled up in her arms. She chatted with Cassie as she watched the light in the west quickly fade from red and orange to a dark blue.

"So, who's car are we taking?" Cassie inquired, pointing at the two vehicles in the driveway.

The blue-gray eyed girl shrugged, a mischievous grin on her face. "I was thinking mine so you and Hiei can cuddle up in the back seat, but if you're opposed to that idea, we can, of course, take yours."

The water demon giggled. "No, that's alright. I have no problem with taking your car." She gave her friend an devious look. "I'd love to sit in the back with Hiei. You're gonna want to turn the radio up a bit if you don't want to hear us making out."

Kurama mentally laughed as the girls talked, enjoying their conversation. Never in his life had he heard someone talk about his fellow spirit detective like Cassie was doing. _ 'Hiei making out in the back of a car with someone,' _he thought, humor in his tone. _ 'Now why does that sound so far-fetched to me? Oh yeah... he's antisocial and cold to most people. Of course, Cassie has a strange effect on him.' _

"If it gets too bad back there, I'll drop you guys off at motel and go see the fireworks all by myself," Kaline threatened, still grinning. She felt something cold press against the hollow of her throat, making her glance down. She saw the fox and laughed. "All right, Youko. You'd get to see them too."

Cassie shook her head, an amused expression on her face. "He's spoiled rotten."

"Yeah, I know," the light brunette replied. "But at least he's fully healed now. I checked this evening, an the last trace of his injuries were gone. Isn't that great?" She held the fox up so she could rub her nose against his.

"That's excellent." The water demon smiled, sharing her friend's happiness. "Now I still have to find a place to stick him."

Kaline blinked. "You haven't found one yet?" she asked, and Cassie shook her head. "Oh well. He's been such a good patient that I won't mind keeping him for a while. If you can't get anyone to take him, I might see about keeping him."

_'You'll get to keep me,' _Kurama thought. _ 'I just won't be in fox form. As soon as I have my spirit energy back, I'll switch forms and take you up on that offer for tea or cappuccino.' _

The girls kept on talking until eight o'clock when Hiei arrived, and they didn't even let him get a word out before Cassie pushed him into the back seat of Kaline's car and hopped in herself. Laughing, Kaline climbed into the driver's seat, buckled up, with Kurama in her lap. Then, they were off and heading towards the fireworks show, Cassie and Hiei seriously kissing the entire way there. 

  


* * *

  


Five minutes before the show started, the group settled on a nice grass-covered cliff, laying out two different blankets before they sat down. Cassie and Hiei claimed one blanket, the brunette snuggling up next to the fire demon with a contented look on her face.

Kaline sat down on the other blanket, which was twenty feet away from the other one, Kurama in her lap and her eyes on the skies. When the fireworks started, she watched attentively with a child-like amazement. She loved the colors, and the noise didn't bother her all that much. The blue and red ones were her favorites, and she whispered comments of astonishment to the fox as she stared up at the sky.

Cassie and Hiei didn't watch much of the show because they had their own fireworks going. They didn't even notice when the fireworks display was finally over, but Kaline wasn't about to leave them outside all night.

A devious look in her eyes, she went to her car, which was about ten feet away from the couple, and honked the horn. Cassie and Hiei both jumped, breaking off their kissing so they could glare at the blue- gray eyed girl. Kurama just silently laughed, enjoying the whole scene. He almost began rolling in laughter when Hiei started growling and giving Kaline the I'm-going-to-kill-you look.

"What was that for?" Cassie grumbled.

Kaline shrugged. "The show's over, and I wanna go home," she answered. "So, c'mon. You can kiss him once you guys get in the car, okay?" With that said, she put both Kurama and her blanket in the passenger seat and then climbed in behind the wheel.

The dark brunette sighed and stood up, giving the fire demon an apologetic look. A few moments later, Cassie and Hiei climbed into the back seat, quickly going back to what they had been doing before Kaline had interrupted them.

The light-haired girl softly chuckled as she began to drive home, an amused expression on her face. "For some reason, that doesn't surprise me." Then, she turned up the radio.

  
  


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PWA: Yes, he was being sweet, which is rare.

neolannia: It's alright. I tend to read things fast too.

Yanou: Hola! Buenos dias. And I'm not too worried about the shortness. I just like the fact that you reviewed.

Kuramalover321: *blushes* Thanks. I just enjoy writing... and getting reviews. And who's saying my story's good? I didn't know anyone was even saying a word about it. Hmmm... Interesting.

Midnight: I love the Siren Sword too, even though I have no idea where it came from. And you like the fact that Hiei is a little OOC? I don't have a clue who I like better. Youko has the fox ears and tail... a definite plus, Kurama has the gorgeous red hair and green eyes... which I love, and Hiei has some really cute expressions at times, and his attitude is cool, just like his sword. I think that I'm leaning towards Youko and Kurama. ^_^ RL Cassie has dibs on Hiei.

Luraia Soul: Thanks for reviewing. And btw, where'd you come up with your name?

Sam: Yeah, the wolf attacking wasn't exactly sweet, but the rest was. :) And thanks for the compliment about the Siren Sword. I appreciate it.

Rei-Akita: I'll update as soon as I can, okay? It takes me a little time to write a chapter and then edit it. 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

For Love of a "Pet" 

Chapter Thirteen

Over the next two weeks, nothing happened by the way of enemy demons. Fenrir's brother didn't show his face, Cassie and Hiei went on dates as well as trained, and Kaline continued to take care of Kurama, whose spirit energy had finally returned four days after the fireworks display.

Since he was completely healthy once again, Kurama began planning his escape. He figured he could cut the screen for one of the basement windows to look like her beloved pet had escaped that way, then he could transform into his human form and walk right out the front door.

His chance to implement his plan didn't come until Kaline had to go to the grocery store. She sweetly explained to him where she was going and why, asking him to be good while she was gone. He just nuzzled her hand in response to her little speech.

The instant Kaline was gone, he set about putting his plan into action. He went downstairs, finding the window that always seemed to be open. A few swipes of his claws later, there was a rather large hole in the wire mesh screen. Once that was done, he stood in the middle of the floor and summoned his spirit energy. 

Within moments, he was in his human form once again. He reached up and ran his hand through his red locks, a small smile on his face. "I missed this," he whispered to himself as he looked at his fingers. "I missed being human."

Kurama stretched, adjusting to his body. As soon as he felt completely comfortable, he walked up the stairs, out the front door, and straight into Hiei.

"Sorry, Hiei. I was not expecting you to be there," the redhead stated as he closed the door behind him. "What are you doing here, though?"

"Kaline left, so I was going to talk to you for a while," the fire demon replied. "Do you know anything about a giant black wolf demon?"

Shaking his head, Kurama walked with his friend away from Kaline's house. "No. Is there any reason I should?"

Hiei shrugged. "He attacked me a few weeks ago, and I don't know why. It didn't make any sense." 

The kitsune thought for a while. "I'm not sure. It's possible that he had something to do with Loki, and a group of demons is targeting the spirit detectives."

"Neither Yusuke nor the bumbling idiot have been attacked," the koorime informed his friend. "And the demon mentioned his brother seeking revenge." 

"I have a feeling that the brother has not shown up yet, has he?" Kurama inquired. 

"No." Hiei continued to walk around the neighborhood with the fox demon. "And that just doesn't seem right."

They continued to talk, losing track of time. After an hour passed, Kurama finally noticed how long he had spent away from Kaline.

_'She's probably back from her shopping trip, so now would probably be a good time to visit her,' _the redhead thought. "Hiei, is there anything else you need to tell or ask me?"

"What do you know of the Siren Sword?" he asked.

Kurama shook his head. "Nothing. I've never even heard of it." He paused. "Why do you ask?" 

"Cassie has it." Hiei looked up at the sky.

"Very well. If that is all, then I'm going to be going now." The kitsune began to walk off.

The fire demon studied the retreating from of his friend. "Where are you going?"

Kurama smiled. "Kaline's." 

  


* * *

  


"Youko! I'm back!" Kaline called out as she set her groceries on the kitchen table, expecting the little fox to come running up to her. He didn't. "Youko? Come here, boy!" Her voice was louder that time. "Youko?"

Frowning, she began to search her house, shouting for the fox. As she searched and no little animal showed up, her worry level rose to its highest point. "Youko?!"

Kaline took a deep, calming breath as she searched the last inch of the house. _ 'Okay, he isn't in the house. If he isn't here, then how'd he get out?' _

She checked all the doors and windows, finding the screen on her basement window ripped open. "Kuso," she snapped, stomping her foot. Her anger quickly receded though, giving way once again to her worry. She needed to find Youko; she just had to.

Racing upstairs, she picked up a phone and dialed. After three rings, Cassie answered.

~Hello,~

"Cassie, it's Kaline. Youko's gone," Kaline quickly told her friend, her tone laced with worry.

~What?!~ the girl exclaimed, surprised beyond belief. ~But how?~

"He cut a hole in a screen," she answered, sounding as if she was on the verge of panicking._ 'I don't know how or why, but he did.' _ "Can you come here and help me look for him?"

~I'll be there in fifteen minutes.~ The dark brunette sounded worried as well. ~And I'll see if I can recruit Hiei sometime today.~

"Thanks. I'll see you soon. Bye."

~Bye.~ Cassie hung up, and Kaline was quick to follow suit.

Less than a minute later, she was out the door and almost frantically searching for the fox. She called out the fox's name a few times, hoping that he hadn't wandered far. He obviously had, because he didn't respond.

Her creative mind coming up with all kinds of horrible things, Kaline continued to look for her charge. She walked down the street, checking under bushes and calling out his name. Still, no fox. She was slowing beginning to leave the realm of panic and head into uncharted territory.

_'I've never lost a patient. No animal has ever run away from me before. What happened? Where is he? Is he still alive?' _She shook her head to clear it of unwanted thoughts. _ 'No. I won't think like that. Youko is alive. He's around here somewhere. I'm sure that I'll find him.'_

"Youko!" Kaline shouted, praying as she did so. She waited for a moment, her heart beating fast. "Nothing," she muttered. "He must have gotten farther away than I thought." Giving a dejected sigh, she continued on her search. 

After ten minutes later, a car pulled up beside her. "Hey, Kaline!" Cassie's voice flooded the air, a calm, clear sound. "Where have you looked so far?"

Kaline looked over at her friend. "I've searched Sunset Drive and Oak Street. If you could hit all the roads on the other side of my house, I'd really appreciate it."

"Sure thing." After rolling back up her window, Cassie drove off.

The gray-blue eyed girl continued to search for the silver fox as two demons watched her from the rooftops.

"She's looking for you?" Hiei asked, his eyes on the young girl. _ 'She looks like she's about to panic. I never thought anyone could be so worried about a simple little creature.' _

"It seems that way. I did not expect her to become so worried," Kurama replied. "I think I should go down and soothe her." _ 'This isn't exactly the way I want to introduce myself, but I hate seeing her like this.' _

"Hn." The fire demon crossed his arms. "You are a fool."

"Maybe. Maybe not." With that said, the kitsune leapt down to the ground in one graceful move. Then, he ran to catch up with the girl, leaving the koorime behind. 

"Kaline!" he shouted, coming up to walk beside her. 

"Oh my... dear Kami!" Kaline went deathly pale upon seeing him, her eyes so wide he could the whites all around her iris. "Kurama..." She shook her head, refusing to trust her eyes. It was impossible for someone from her dreams to come to life... completely impossible. "I don't believe it. How is this possible? This can't be happening. It just can't!" Her mind was going a million miles an hour, threatening to give her a massive headache. _ 'It's official. I've gone nuts. I'm having hallucinations. Cassie needs to call the insane asylum and have them send the white truck to pick me up. By tomorrow morning, I'll be in a little padded room with a straight jacket on. I'll be put on some kind of medication.' _

"Are you okay?" Kurama asked, smoothing some of her hair away from her face. _ 'I like her better when she's smiling.' _

_'Kurama's touching me, so unless I'm really, really hallucinating big time, he actually exists. I don't know how it's possible, but... he's real. He is completely and truly real. I can feel the warmth from his hands.' _ "What's going on, Kurama?" she asked, voice shaky. Before he could say a word, she began to talk again. "Never mind. You can explain things to me later. Now, do you think that you could do me a favor?"_ 'Youko comes before my problems with this guy. Besides, I don't think on it, I won't worry about it. For the time being, I just ignore the fact that Kurama's not suppose to exist and deal with the here and now.' _

"Sure." He nodded his head, his green eyes sincere. "Just tell me what you need me to do." 

"I'm looking for a silver fox. Can you please help me search for him?!" she pleaded, hands clasped together as if she was praying.

Kurama gave her a small smile. "I'd be more than happy to." _'How strange... I'm helping her look for myself. Things are never boring with her.' _

"Thank you!" Kaline gave him a quick hug and kiss, just like she would have in any dream. He felt perfectly real and solid when she touched him._ 'He smells and tastes the same as he does in my dreams.' _"If you will look over in that direction, then I can take this one." She pointed in one direction, then a different one. "We'll cover more ground if we split up. Meet back at my place in an hour, okay?"

"Sure. Your place in an hour," he repeated, nodding his head.

She thanked him again and then went back to her searching, calling out the fox's name every so often. Once she was out of view, Hiei appeared in front of Kurama.

"What are you going to do now, kitsune?" the fire demon asked, humor in his voice. _'He has put himself in the most unusual position I have ever seen. I want to see what he's going to do.' _

"Well, I'm going to reassume my fox form, and you're going to take me to Kaline's house and wait for her to show up," he answered after a moment, voice firm.

"What about Loki?" Hiei inquired, frowning. _ 'Work is supposed to come before play, not the other way around. Kurama is placing this girl before his job as a spirit detective.' _

Kurama shrugged. "I've told you everything I know about him, and we can't do anything about the enemy until he shows himself again. Right now, it can't hurt if I stay with Kaline. If Loki makes an appearance, then I'll just change and fight him." The plan sounded simple enough to him.

"You are being foolish," he commented. "That girl has changed you." _ 'Of course, I really don't have a right to say things like that.' _

"Maybe," the redhead answered simply. "But I do not believe you should be talking. What about you and Cassie?"

"Hn. That is none of your business, kitsune," the fire demon retorted, red eyes narrowing in annoyance. _'He is too smart for his own good.' _

Kurama chuckled softly, knowing that he had won the argument. "Will you take me to Kaline's place?"

Hiei rolled his eyes, but he did eventually nod his head. "If you're going to willingly make a fool of yourself, then I don't see why I should stop you." _ 'Besides, it'll give me something to laugh at besides the baka.' _

"Thank you." The redhead summoned up his power, twisting it around his body until he was a silver fox once again. He yipped once, telling the fire demon to pick him up. 

The black-haired male lifted the fox into his arms. "Kurama, you owe me."

_'I know,' _Kurama mentally replied, not caring in the least. He was going to continue to stay with Kaline and that was all that mattered.

"Good." Then, the fire demon raced off to Kaline's house. 

  


* * *

  


Cassie sighed as she checked her watch. It was becoming late, and she had no clue how the others were doing. _ 'Maybe they've already found him. I sure hope so, because I seriously doubt that he went this way. Derek's house isn't that far from here, and animals somehow seem to know that he's dangerous and stay away.' _She silently laughed. _'Obviously they have more sense than humans or demons do.' _

With a small sigh, she decided to go back to Kaline's. If the fox had been found, then someone would be there. If Youko was still missing, then the house would be empty. She really, really hoped that someone was at the house. 

Calling out for the fox one last time, she climbed back into her car and drove back to Kaline's. 

  


* * *

  


"Hey! Is anyone there?" Cassie shouted, although she already knew the answer. She could sense two demons. One demon's energy felt familiar; the other's did not. 

"Cassie," Hiei replied, his voice coming from the living room. "I have Youko." 

"Awesome!" she exclaimed happily, taking off her muddy shoes and leaving them by the door. "Who's with you though?" 

"No one," he answered immediately. 

Frowning, Cassie entered the living room, finding only the fire demon and the fox in there. The unfamiliar energy that she sensed was coming from the fox. "He's a demon..." the dark brunette stated as she stared down at the tiny animal. "Youko is a demon." She blinked in surprised. "How is that possible?" 

_'Hiei, do something!' _Kurama mentally ordered. _ 'She'll tell Kaline!' _

The fire demon silently sighed. "Cassie..." He drifted off, trying to think of anything to say. In the end, he resorted to his old threat. "Say anything to Kaline and you die."

She raised an eyebrow at that, seemingly unfazed._ 'That was one of the most pathetic threats I have ever heard... especially since there was no feeling behind it. He was just going through the motions.' _"Riiight. You're obviously a good demon, or at least you fight on Koenma's side, which means that you can't kill innocent people."

"Humans," he corrected.

Cassie shrugged. "My family received Koenma's permission to be here a long time ago. We're on his side, which means that you can't kill me without pissing him off." She smiled triumphantly. "Now, I want an explanation. What's the deal with the fox?"

Hiei fidgeted for a moment. _ 'That girl is too good at arguing with me.' _ "I'll explain after we leave." He didn't want Kaline to walk in and overhear everything he was going to tell Cassie. "This is for your ears only at the moment." 

"Okay. Fine. I'll hold you to your word." She sat down next to the fire demon and patted the fox lightly on the head. "Don't think that I won't."

"Trust me, I expect you to make me keep my promise," he replied. 

  
  


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CotA: Yea! Another chapter! Aren't you people so proud of me? And I have one or two more completely written. I should be posting them soon.

Yanou: Estoy bien tambien. Gracias. Sorry, but I don't speak all that much Spanish. I can read it better than I write it. And as for his low spirit energy, well, I explain it in the next chapter, so... yes, wait and see. I'm so evil. *grins*

Rei Akita: Thanks.

Kuramalover321: 10 out of 10? Wow... I didn't think it was that good. I just kinda go the idea for this whole thing from the stuffed fox I bought at the world famous san diego zoo. Not bad, huh?

Bijin-chan: I've missed you too!! *huggles Bijin-chan* And you know that I'm going to update soon, especially since I have at least one more chapter completely done. :)

Luraia Soul: I'm bad at remembering things too. I'm not sure why though.

PWA: It is hard to imagine, but that's okay. I did enjoy writing it. ^_^ 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

For Love of a "Pet" 

Chapter Fourteen

Kaline sighed sadly as her gaze wandered around, studying the many bushes and other hiding places in the area. She still hadn't found Youko, and that fact depressed her to extremes. She hated the idea of such a cute, sweet animal wandering around. _'He could be hurt,'_ she thought, her level of worry nearly making her cry. After a few moments, the idea of a hurt fox actually did bring a few tears to her eyes. 

She wiped the moisture away and continued to search for her helpless charge, knowing that crying wasn't going to assist her. She needed to stay relatively calm as she looked for him. 

After a few minutes, she found her way to the banks of a small pond. _ 'Maybe he's here,' _she mused, almost not daring to hope. She wound her way through the tall weed, completely alert and watching for any signs of the silver fox. 

"Youko!" she called out, her voice echoing over the water. 

"He's not here," a rough voice stated. 

Kaline spun around, eyes wide with surprise. She hadn't heard someone come up behind her, which she found a little strange. Usually she was alert enough to tell when people were standing near her back. 

As soon as she turned around, she caught sight of a man in black shorts, a black t-shirt, and a black ski mask that covered everyone on his face except for his eyes and mouth. 

"And you'll never see him again!" Blue light twisted around his hands as he leapt at her, shoving her into the pond with amazing strength. 

"AH!" Kaline screamed before she fully submerged, the man on top of her, his hands quickly closing around her throat. 

She struggled to make him release her, the freezing cold water around her sapping her strength. Her lungs began to ache from lack of oxygen, but the man still hadn't let go of her. She tried to knee him in the groin but missed her target by a long shot; she was too weak and too cold. 

_'I'm going to die if I don't get some oxygen soon.' _As she began to panic, her vision became blurry, leaving her with only a vague idea of where the man still was. She needed air. 

_'No... I'm not going to die!'_ Kaline mentally screamed. _'Not today!' _

Anger erupted from her as her desperation hit its highest peak. Suddenly, the hands around her neck were gone, vanishing with a small burst of warm bright blue light. 

Kaline surfaced, taking deep, gasping breaths. For her, air had never smelled and felt so good. 

Shivering, she crawled out of the pond and flopped down on the bank, crushing the weeds. Feeling as if she had been buried under ten feet of snow for the past three hours, she slowly stood up, her muscles stiff. She glanced around, seeing no signs of the masked man. It was if he had completely vanished. 

Breathing a sign of relief, she smiled weakly. She didn't know where he had gone, and she didn't care. He could have fallen off the face of the earth, and it wouldn't have bothered her one bit. After all, he had obviously tried to kill her.

Kaline began to walk back to her house, shivering despite the warm weather. Water dripped from her hair and clothes to the ground. Her tennis shoes squished as she walked, and she sneezed a few times. She felt exhausted and drained, and she was thankful when she finally made it back home. 

"Cassie? Kurama?" she called out as she entered her house, dripping wet and freezing cold. "You guys here?" 

"Hiei and I are in the living room, and we have Youko!" Cassie shouted back. "He seems to be just fine." 

The shivering girl breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Kami," she mumbled softly as she made her way to the living room. She wanted to see her charge with her own eyes to prove to herself that he was okay. 

The instant she entered the living room, Cassie gasped in surprise. "Dear Kami! Kaline, what happened to you?" The dark brunette gently placed the fox in Hiei's lap and went to her friend. 

Kaline just shivered uncontrollably. "Some guy in a mask pushed me into the lake," she explained. 

"Your lips are blue!" Cassie exclaimed, frowning unhappily. "You go get changed into some dry clothes while I hunt down the masked man." _ 'Derek is so dead.' _

The blue-gray eyed girl shook her head. "I don't know exactly who it was, so don't worry about it." She paused. "Where's Kurama?" She didn't see her dream-man-turned-real anywhere. 

"He had to go check on his sick mother," Hiei answered gruffly, glaring down at the fox. 

Kaline nodded stiffly. "Okay. Thanks for telling me." She smiled softly. "Cassie, Hiei, thanks for helping me search; and, Hiei, if you see Kurama before I do, then please tell him thank you for me." 

"Hn. Whatever." 

"I appreciate your help." The wet girl turned to her best friend. "You probably should get going. I know that you have stuff to do. 

Cassie nodded her head, glancing at the black-haired man. "I do." She paused. "Hiei and I will leave now so you can get changed." She smiled at the other girl, transferred Youko from the black-haired man's lap to the floor, and took his hands. "C'mon. Let's go so Kaline can relax a bit and lecture Youko." 

"Huh?" Hiei looked a little confused, but he allowed her to drag him to the door. _'Why would she lecture Youko? She thinks that he's only a fox.' _

"Bye, Kaline," Cassie said brightly. 

"Bye, you two," Kaline replied. Then, her visitors were out the door and gone. She stood there for a moment, blinking and shivering. 

Kurama walked up and nuzzled her leg. _'She doesn't look so good.' _

"Youko, you had me so worried," she stated, looking down at him. "But I'll yell at you later. Right now, I just wanna get warm." 

Kaline went to her room, the fox following her like a faithful puppy, worry in his eyes. 

"I'm so cold..." she mumbled, shivering uncontrollably, her teeth chattering as well. 

Her lips still blue, she stripped off her wet clothes, tossed them into the bathroom, and pulled on a tight, blue fleece long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black fleece pajama pants. "Cold..." She curled up under the covers on her bed, clutching the sheets around her tightly. 

Kurama mentally frowned as he jumped up onto the bed and rubbed his face along her cheek. _'I smell demon and power. Someone evil used his or her spirit energy to make her so cold. It was an ice demon most likely.' _

"Why can't I warm up?" Kaline asked worriedly as she continued to shiver. "I'm so tired too." She yawned. 

_'Don't go to sleep! Your spirit energy is too low and you're too cold for you to do that! You might not wake back up!' _he mentally shouted, although he knew that she couldn't hear him. She closed her eyes, beginning to fall asleep. He poked her ear with his cold nose, bringing her back to the waking world. 

"What, Youko?" she mumbled softly, curling into a small ball as she tried to warm herself up. "What is your problem?" 

_'She needs to become warm very, very soon,'_ he thought worriedly. _'Luckily, I can help with that.' _

Kurama jumped out of the bed and onto the floor, landing where Kaline could easily see him. He was going to transform, and he wanted her to be able to watch him. 

"What are you doing, silly fox?" She yawned again, her half-open eyes watching the silver creature on the floor. 

_'I really didn't want her to find out this way, but I don't have much of a choice,' _he thought as he took a deep breath. 

The kitsune summoned up his spirit energy and transformed into his human form, his red hair spilling around his shoulders and falling into his green eyes. He was dressed in a pair of dark blue pants and a lighter blue Chinese tunic with matching dark blue trim and dragon design. 

Kaline stared at him, eyes wide. "Kurama?!" She shook her head weakly. "I'm hallucinating. I must be running a fever or something. I did not just see Youko shapeshift into Kurama." 

"No, you're not hallucinating. I'm a demon." He stripped off his tunic and climbed under the covers. "I'll explain when you're feeling better, promise." The kitsune pulled her into his embrace, holding her as close as he could. 

"Warm..." She gave a happy sigh, wiggling a little against him as she tried to become more comfortable. After a brief moment, she settled down and fell asleep, her cheek pressed to his chest. 

_'She should be fine now that she's warming up.' _Kurama smiled softly at her and placed a tender kiss on the top of her head. _'Sleep well, Kaline.' _

After a few minutes, he noticed something._ 'My energy... she's drawing it out of me to heal herself.'' _He blinked, shocked at that revelation. _ 'Amazing. She shouldn't be able to do that, but she is.' _

The kitsune mused over his discovery for a while, intrigued by it. 

_'She must be, at the very least, a partial demon. No human being can use a demon's spirit energy. It seems that what Sombra said was the truth. Kaline is a demon. And all this explains why it took me so long to regain my spirit energy. She must have been stealing it to heal me.' _

Closing his eyes, he nuzzled his nose into Kaline's hair, breathing in her wonderful scent. The fragrance of vanilla, roses, and sunshine warmed him from the inside out. It felt so wonderful to hold her in his real arms, so wonderful to touch her with his real human hands. Dreams were well enough, but he preferred real life. 

A small smile on his face, he allowed himself to fall asleep, his grip on her not loosening even a little bit. 

  


* * *

"Well, now, Hiei... start explaining." Cassie glanced over at the fire demon in the passenger's seat of her car.

"His name is Youko Kurama, but he goes by Kurama at the moment," he began.

"Youko Kurama... as in THE Youko Kurama? The greatest thief in all of Makai? Yeah right. Puuuuh- leeeeaaase." She laughed briefly. "Tell me another story, since this one is just so incredibly entertaining." 

"I'm not lying." 

She gave him a skeptical look. "Sure... Okay, for the sake of this conversation, I'll assume that what you claim is true. So, now... let's see here. I found the famous Youko Kurama wounded and in tiny fox form in the woods. Now, he's staying with my best friend, who believes that he's just a pet fox. On top of all of that, Youko Kurama is willingly acting like a little pet and living with my friend for unknown reasons." She snorted. "As if. Give me a break." 

_'Well, when she puts it that way, I can see why she doesn't believe me,'_ Hiei thought, frowning. _'But still, I have no reason to lie, and she should know that.' _ "I believe that he cares about Kaline," the fire demon told her. "And Loki, a demon, hurt him." 

"Loki?" Cassie repeated, worry in her voice. 

"Do you know him?" Hiei wanted to know. _'If she knows him, then she might also know where we can find him.' _

She shook her head. "No, but I know where the name came from. Loki is the Norse god of trickery, evil, darkness, and such. If a demon's named Loki, then he is not going to be easy to defeat." 

"That, or he just thinks too highly of himself." 

Cassie chuckled before becoming completely serious. "That's possible, but I would rather assume that he's strong so I won't be surprised. Kaline's life might be at stake here." 

"Kurama will protect her," Hiei stated. 

"Why? If he is who you say he is, I don't believe that he will. Youko was known for being a cutthroat." 

"He's a demon. It's possible that he fell in love with her." 

"The instant I-found-my-soul-mate kinda thing?" she asked. _'That's certainly what happened to me where you're concerned, sexy fire demon.' _She mentally smiled. 

"Yes." 

She thought about that for a moment. "And what about you? Do you love anyone?" 

"No," he said instantly, sounding very sure of himself. 

That cut deep in her heart. She had put up with his attitude, dealt with his bad moods, and still acted sweet and polite towards him. And now, he had just claimed that he didn't love anyone, including her. He was a demon, and if he hadn't fallen in love with her at first sight like she had done with him, then it was not meant to be. If he didn't return her love after all the dates they had been on, then he never would. He merely lusted after her. That thought instantly broke her heart. 

Cassie slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt. "OUT!" she ordered, pointing to the passenger door. 

"What?" Hiei looked very confused. She had never yelled at him before, especially like that. _'What is going on?' _

"GET OUT OF THE CAR NOW!" Cassie shouted at the top of her lungs, letting her spirit energy fill the vehicle and make the air vibrate dangerously. It felt like water had flooded the car, replacing the air. 

The fire demon glared at her and then did as she wanted. He climbed out of the car and raced off into the trees, almost too fast for her to see. 

"Shit," she muttered, banging the back of her head against her headrest as tears glistened in her eyes. "Shit. Shit. Shit."

  


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CotA: And here is where the proverbial shit hits the fan. *sighs* All of the stuff from here on out is pretty much Sess-chan's doing.

Sess- chan: Things are going to become worse before they become better.

CotA: That's for sure. *yawns* Okay. I'm tired, so I'm gonna head back to bed.*walks off*

Sess-chan: The review responses are below.*walks off*

CotA: *from off in the distance* Sess-chan, get out of my room!

Neolannia: Yes, I finally updated. And is this fast enough for you?

Midnight: Yes, Cassie is pretty lucky... most of the time. Let's see here... I would be... probably a water demon, since all those quizes I take say my element is water. ^_^;

Bijin-chan: *laughs* I laughed so hard when I read your review. *huggles Bijin-chan* It was the cutest thing. :)

Sam: Yeah... that image is just a little too much. I can't help but laugh at it. *giggles* Oh my...

Yanou: I'm evil? Hmmm... Now I know someone's told me that before. Who was it? Oh yeah! RL Cassie! And Cassie could sense Youko because his spirit energy had returned.

Kuramalover321: Yes, I got the idea from a fox.

Lady Rose Jade: I read, I reviewed, and you know what I think about it. I do hope you keep writing in it.

Rei Akita: I'll update soon. You should know me well enough to know that.

Luraia Soul: Yes, it was a dumb plan, but it pretty much worked. He just forgot about a few of the finer details... And I already emailed you. Ciao. 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

For Love of a "Pet"

Chapter Fifteen

Kaline reached down and scratched Sombra's ears, her eyes on the turbulent gray skies overhead. The dull shade almost perfectly matched the color of the stone castle around her, and everything around her was darker than usual. She stood in a twilight blue gown with a flowing skirt and large sleeves, the hem edged with silver embroidery.

"Youko is... Kurama," she said out loud, her voice soft. "Kurama is the guy from my dreams. Why didn't he say that he was Youko? Why?"

_'I don't know, but he better have had a good reason,' _Sombra snapped. _ 'That was a bit of information he definitely could have included.' _

"I don't understand... why didn't he tell me? Surely after all those dreams we shared... after we shared our feelings... surely he would have told me." Kaline sat down on the ground as thunder rolled and lightning struck nearby. "He said he loved me, so why didn't he say anything?"

_'I wish I knew.' _The tip of her tail twitched back and forth in agitation. _ 'Maybe he's not as nice as we thought.' _

"He is real..." The girl paused as her blue-gray eyes widened significantly. "And everything we did in our dreams... oh dear Kami!" She clasped one hand over her mouth. "What have I done?!"

_'It takes two to tango, so I believe it's what have WE done,' _Sombra corrected. _'You and Kurama acted together.' _

"Kurama's a demon..." she murmured. "He should have told me. He should have told me that he was Youko. I thought I was going nuts, falling in love with a guy from my dreams, and then he turns out to be real." She looked up at the sky. "Why didn't he tell me?!" 

Lightning struck a tree, setting it aflame, and thunder resounded through the area. Kaline stood up and began to pace, wind whirling around her. More lightning crashed into the castle grounds. 

"He didn't tell me that I was keeping him as a pet, that I was taking care of him. He never said he was a demon." Kaline growled. "WHY?!" Power erupted from her as a feeling of betrayal filled her heart. Never before had someone she loved lied to her so much. "He let me believe that he was a human! And all those things we did in my dreams..."

_'Kaline... no matter what, everything will be alright,' _Sombra stated, coming up to nuzzle her mistress's hand. _ 'Kurama may have omitted some very, very, VERY important information from us, but I'm sure that things will turn out just fine.' _

"Does he even love me? How can you keep such important information from someone you love?" She hung her head as rain began to fall. "How?" 

  


* * *

Kaline woke up to the sensation of being hugged close to a warm body. "Hmmm...?" She opened her eyes, instantly seeing a muscular chest and red hair. 'What in the...?' She tilted her head back to look into the person's face. "KURAMA!?!?!?" she shouted, feeling completely flabbergasted, as the previous night's events came rushing back. Youko running off... being pushed into a pond... coming back to the house to find the fox safe and sound... watching Youko turn into Kurama. "WHAT THE HELL!" 

Her yelling woke the kitsune up. "What is it?" he asked with a yawn. "Are you okay? Are you feeling better now?" 

"You were Youko the entire time?!" she yelled, sounding outraged. The things he had watched her do while he was a fox, the things she had let him do in her dreams... She shook her head to clear it, feeling ashamed of herself. 

"Yes," Kurama replied hesitantly, not liking her tone.

She placed her hands on his chest and shoved hard, roughly pushing him out of the bed. "All this time you were here... right here under my nose, and you never told me!" 

Kaline rolled out of bed and began to pace as she ranted, making violently drastic hand gestures as she talked. Blue-gray eyes flashed dangerously as a small amount of invisible power rippled through the room. Her power was reacting to her anger.

"And the things we did in my dreams while I thought you weren't real. You let me do those things, knowing that I didn't believe in you. How could you?! How could you just not tell me that you were Youko? How could... ARRGGGHHH!" She continued to stomp around her room. "And you're a demon! Why didn't you ever tell me that either!?!?"

The kitsune just stared at her, shocked. _ 'I just possibly saved her life, and she's yelling at me?' _ He almost felt heartbroken, but he definitely felt hurt. 

"Would you have believed me?" Kurama asked softly, hoping that she would calm down soon.

"I don't know, but... dammit! You still should have told me. At least I would have had some kind of warning!" Fury flowing through her, she kicked the wall hard, leaving a small dent. "All this time, you've been keeping secrets from me, big secrets. Did you not trust me with them? Is that why you didn't tell me? I'm not trustworthy enough?!" 

He shook his head. "No. That's not it at all," he protested, taking a few steps toward her. He was sure that she would calm down if he could just take her in his arms and hold her for a while. 

Kaline held up a hand to stop him. "I thought you loved me but..." She shook her head. "Stay away from me, Kurama, Youko... whoever or whatever you are. I don't want you touching me." She backed away from him, eyes becoming bright. She hurt so badly, but she didn't want him to see that, so she did the only thing she could think of. "Leave," she ordered.

"I'll leave the room for a while if that if what you wish," Kurama responded, heading towards the bedroom door. She obviously needed a little time alone; and if that was what she needed, then that was what he was going to give her.

"No. I meant for you to leave my house!" she spat out, her heart breaking even as she said the words. "NOW, GET OUT, DAMMIT!"

Green eyes becoming wide, he stared at her for a moment, surprised. He had never seen her so angry, so upset. "Are you sure?"

"YES!!" the girl screamed, stomping one of her feet for emphasis. Tears sparkled in the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall while she the man was present.

"Good bye, Kaline," Kurama said sadly as he left the room. 

As soon as Kaline heard the front door open and close, she laid down on her bed, buried her head in her pillow, and cried. 

  


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CotA: Sorry about the short chapter. But I have good news. The next chapter is completely written, so I should be posting it soon. *smiles* I know that you all will like that. Plus, the next chappie is a whole lot longer than this one. That should make you people happy. I should be posting it on Sunday. *crosses fingers* I'm hoping, at least. Well, the review responses are below.

Yanou: Yes, Hiei can be a jerk.

Bijin-chan: I love how you translate my chappies into a few funny phrases. *giggles* It's great. *huggles Bijin-chan*

Rei Akita: *laughs* why am I not surprised you say 'update soon' to everyone?

Midnight: I'm kinda a pyro too. I love fire. *grins evilly*

Starkitty: Yes, the guy in the mask was Derek. You'll find out his reasons for everything in a later chappie.

neolannia: I'm not telling what's gonna happen to Hiei and Cassie. And yes, you spelled Derek right.

Luraia Soul: *huggles L-soul* yes, I updated.

Hiryuu Hizoku: I'm not telling. *grins evilly*

PWA: Yes, bad Hiei-chan.

Sam: You'll see what's going to happen eventually. 


	16. Chapter Sixteen

For Love of a "Pet"

Chapter Sixteen

"Cassie?" Kaline said in a quivering voice as her friend answered the door, a suitcase clutched in one of her hands. "Can I stay with you for a while?"

"Sure," the dark brunette replied, nodding her head and opening the door as wide as possible. She had noticed the other girl's bleak expression and overly bright eyes. Her friend had been crying hard.

As the lighter-haired girl put her stuff in the guest room, Cassie sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" she asked softly. "Why do you look like someone just ran over your dog?"

Kaline nearly collapsed on the bed next to her friend, burying her face in her hands. "Kurama... Youko..." She began to sob. "Dear Kami!" 

"Kurama was the cute guy from your dreams, wasn't he? The one you fell in love with?" Cassie inquired as she wrapped a comforting arm around her friend's shoulders. Kaline nodded. "Well, it sounds like we can have a pity party together. I just found out last night that Hiei doesn't love me." 

"I'm sorry." She sniffled for a few moments. 

"I am too, for the both of us." 

The two girls then cried on each other's shoulders, both giving and taking support. Tears soaked their faces and shirts. They sobbed until their tears ran out, leaving them both sniffling and blurry-eyed. 

The blue-green eyed girl quickly hugged her friend and then stood up, tears still shining on her cheeks. "Now, how about we hit the kitchen and purge on chocolate as the Girl's Handbook for Getting Over Guys suggests?" 

Kaline gave a small, weak laugh. "Yeah. That sounds good." Her tears falling slowly, she followed her friend to the kitchen. 

Moments later, the two had raided the cabinets and fridge for anything and everything sugary and fattening. Cassie avoided the ice-cream; however, Kaline had no reserves about that. The lighter-haired girl was half-way through a quart of the cold substance when the doorbell rang.

Frowning, the dark brunette stood up, depositing her bag of M&M's on the counter as she went to see who was visiting. She went to the entryway, opened the door, saw who was standing outside, and promptly slammed the door in the man's face.

"Bastard," she spat out.

"Who was it?" Kaline called from the kitchen.

"Hiei," Cassie shouted back as she locked the door and went back to finish off her chocolate candy. Fresh tears were on her face when she sat down.

The taller girl gave her friend a small, supportive smile and a hug. "It'll be okay." She paused. "Oh, and your popcorn's done popping."

The darker-haired girl shook her head sadly. "I don't know how you do it. You act more like your normal self than I ever could in your situation."

"Call it a defense mechanism. I just push the bad stuff out of my mind," Kaline said. "Selective memory is a wonderful thing, and so is mental blocking." She took a very large bite of ice-cream and shivered. "So, I take it that you didn't give Hiei a chance to say a word, huh?" 

"Nope."

"Good." 

  


* * *

Hiei stared at the door that had just been slammed in his face. In his mind, he could still see Cassie, eyes red and cheeks damp with tears. The fury and sadness on her face had been unmistakable when her eyes had met his. The raw pain in her teal orbs had made his heart twist painfully in his chest.

"Cassie..." he whispered, not moving from her front porch. 

"She's not talking to you either, is she?" Kurama asked, coming up to stand by his friend.

The fire demon turned to look at the kitsune. "What are you doing here?" Hiei growled, eyes flashing in annoyance. It didn't seem fair that his best friend wasn't having relationship problems while he was. "You're supposed to be at Kaline's, being catered to like a _**pet**_."

The taller male shook his head sadly. "No. I changed forms last night to help her warm up. She thought she was imaging things, but when she woke up..." He gave a small sigh. "She yelled and threw me out of her house. She was unbelievably angry."

"Hn. I don't care about your silly problems with the little girl." The red-eyed man crossed his arms, glaring at his friend.

Kurama shrugged. "I was hoping that Kaline might be here, since she's not at home. I don't see her car, although it could be in the garage. For some reason or another, I feel like she's here."

"Cassie talked with someone after she shut the door," Hiei admitted.

"That might have been Kaline; it might not have been. I'm not sure if she would seek refuge with her best friend, an obvious maneuver, or if she would find a less apparent place to hide out." Kurama looked sadly at the front door. "I have quite a few things to apologize for, but she's hiding from me." He turned his gaze to his friend. "I believe that you have an apology to make as well, don't you?"

The koorime crossed his arms. "Hn. That is none of your business."

"You could always try apologizing to her over the phone or through a letter," the kitsune suggested. "Although I probably shouldn't be giving out relationship advice."

"What did you do to screw up?" Hiei wanted to know as he began to walk away from Cassie's house. 

Kurama followed his friend. "There's a lot that you don't know," he began to explain. "First off, Kaline can somehow enter my dreams, which is how she came to know me in my human form. She thought that I was just a part of one of her dreams, so she... did some things that I believe that she wouldn't have normally done." He paused. "Also..." 

"There's more?" _ 'He really did destroy his relationship with Kaline.' _ The redhead nodded. "Yes. I didn't tell her a few things, like the fact that I was her pet fox or that I was a demon. She informed me quite clearly that I should have informed her of those facts." He sighed sadly. "She was positively furious."

"Baka kitsune," Hiei said, shaking his head sadly. 

"I don't think I have a right to protest against that comment at this moment," Kurama replied quietly. 

After that, the demons walked in silence for a while, both musing over their problems with the girls. Niether felt like talking, and they proved that misery loved company. 

"Well, you two look positively depressed," Botan commented as she appeared, dressed in her normal pink kimono. "Hiei, did your favorite tree get cut down or something?"

"Hn. That is none of your business, Ferrygirl," Hiei growled threateningly. _ 'There is nothing a depressed person hates more than a cheery person.' _

The blue-haired girl took a step away from him. "My, you're testy," she commented. "Well, Koenma wants to see you two right now. Yusuke and Kuwabara are already there and waiting for you guys to arrive." 

"Do I look like I care?" the fire demon retorted._ 'I don't want to deal with the stupid human or any of our missions at the moment.'_

"Hiei..." Kurama said softly._ 'This is bad timing, but what can we do? We have a job.' _ The black-clad male just crossed his arms and glared at the redhead. "I believe that we're ready to leave now." 

"Great!" Botan then promptly dragged them off to Reikai. 

  


* * *

Kaline and Cassie sat down on the couch with two bags of popcorn and stuck The Matrix into the VCR. Normally, the dark brunette would have quoted the entire movie, talking right along with the characters; however, she was too depressed to do that. Kaline had brought out her favorite stuffed animal that she had packed, and she tightly hugged it to her body. So, the two girls watched the movie in relative silence, making small comments every so often as they both shed tears. 

Once the movie was over, Cassie sighed sadly. "This is just plain pathetic. That movie usually cheers me up." She had cried during most of the movie, and her face gave it away.

"I know." The other girl stood up and left to throw her empty bag of popcorn away. When she came back, she came up with an idea. "Well, since this is a pity party, we could stick in a sad movie and just bawl our eyes out."

"Hmmm... possibly," Cassie replied softly, beginning to search through all her video tapes. "Now the sixty-four billion dollar question is whether or not I actually own a sad movie." 

Kaline began to help her friend in the search, but they didn't find a single depressing movie, much to their disappointment. "Well, we could always go to Blockbuster and rent a few movies."

"Or we could stick in one of the other movies and cry anyway," the darker-haired girl counter-offered. 

"Anastasia?"

"Sure." 

  


* * *

"OK, toddler, they're here," Yusuke said rudely as Kurama and Hiei walked into the room. "Now spill the beans. What's going on?" He slammed his fist on Koenma's desk, looking incredibly unhappy. 

"Yeah!" Kuwabara agreed. "What's so important that you had to wake me up on a Saturday before noon?"

The green-clad human turned to the carrot-top. "Botan should have let you sleep in. You really need your beauty sleep... not that it would probably do you much good. You're so ugly that it would take you a million years to even look somewhat decent."

"Hey, Urameshi!" he protested. "You take that back."

"Are you sure that it would take a million? I was thinking that a few trillion at least," Hiei stated, smirking. He wanted to fight someone, wanted to take his bad mood out on someone, and the idiot was looking like a good target to him at the moment. Actually, the idiot always looked like a good target to him.

"Do you want me to pound your face in, shrimp?" Kuwabara asked threateningly, shaking his fist at the fire demon.

"You couldn't hit my face if your life depended on it," the black-clad demon responded coldly. "I'm not even sure if you could hit the broad side of a barn."

Botan stepped between them before the fight progressed too far. "Enough, you two. We don't have time for this." 

"Botan is right. Loki is on the loose, and for some reason, he is much stronger than he should be," Koemna said. "He seems to have acquired powers from an unknown source." 

Kurama considered that for a moment, while Yusuke went straight into demon-butt-kicking mode. 

"He'll still go down," the raven-haired human said, punching his open palm. "I'll pound him, and then I'll pound whoever gave him the new toys to play with."

"Ha!" Kuwabara scoffed. "You'd get your butt whooped, Urameshi. I, the great Kuwabara, will defeat him." 

"Great?" Yusuke repeated, laughing. "Yes, and you had better remember it." The carrot top puffed out his chest a little. "I am the greatest fighter of them all." 

"Greatest loser is more like it," Hiei commented, jumping in to insult the tall human once again, causing another argument.

Kurama sighed as the fire demon caused another fight with Kuwabara. "This is going to be a long mission." 

  


* * *

"I'm gonna call it a night," Kaline said as she stood up, hugging a stuffed cat to her chest. They both had watched movies and cried all day, a very exhausting experience... at least mentally and emotionally. 

"Okay," Cassie replied. "I'm gonna stay up for a little longer." 

The lighter-haired girl yawned. "You do that. G'night." 

"Good night," the blue-green eyed girl responded, trying to smile at her friend. She failed, but she knew that the other girl wouldn't mind. 

Kaline walked down the hall, and went into the guest room. A moment later, she screamed, a blood-curling sound that echoed through the house and made blood run cold. 

"Kaline?!" Cassie went running down the hall and into the bedroom, finding a ten-foot tall, green demon standing by the far wall. He was trying to grab the gray-blue eyed girl with one of his four hands, failing every time. 

"Help!!!" Kaline scrambled to get as far away from the demon as possible. "Go away, Loki!!!" Fear filled her blue-gray eyes as she dodged every one of his attempts to capture her.

"Loki?" The darker-haired girl repeated as she charged into battle. She knew that name. "Leave my friend alone!" She tried to punch the demon in the stomach with her left hand, but he dodged. As he was still moving to avoid her, she sent out a wave of water from her right hand, hitting him in the head. 

Loki stumbled back a few feet, but he quickly righted himself. "Is that the best you got, demon?" 

_'Oh, shit. I'm in trouble,' _Cassie thought frantically, glancing over at her shocked guest. What Loki had said had surprised her. "Kaline, get out of here now!" Her friend tried to obey, but the demon grabbed her before she could move too far away.

"Dammit! Let me go!!!" Kaline struggled to get out of his grip, but she failed. "KURAMA!!!" 

  


* * *

Kurama turned around suddenly, his attention off in the distance. _ 'Kaline...' _he thought, his red hair blowing in the wind as his green eyes searched for the girl. After a moment, he shook his head, trying to clear it of his thoughts. _ 'I'm being silly. She can't be here.' _

"Hey, Kurama!" Yusuke shouted over his shoulder when he noticed that the kitsune had stopped walking. "You just gonna stand there all day? Or are you gonna come with?" 

Shaking himself out of the daze, the redhead nodded. "Yes. I'm coming." 

"Good." The raven-haired human went back to tromping through the underbrush, and the others followed.

  


* * *

"What a fool you are, calling out for him," Loki said with a laugh. "He is far from here, so far that he can't hear your screams. You would do better to ask your dead parents for help."

"Cassie! Kurama!" Kaline screamed again. "HELP!"

The dark brunette scowled as she summoned up all of her spirit energy. "Die, you monster!" she shouted. "Tsunami wave!" A huge stream of water shot out of her open palms at the demon, hitting him square in the chest.

Loki groaned and clutched at the wound with one of his hands, anger on his face. "I was going to leave you here; however, for that, you're coming with me and your little friend."

_'I'm so dead,'_ Cassie thought as she slowly backed away from the enemy. _ 'I'm out of power.' _

"No, you're not dead yet. You might be soon though, if you don't behave yourself," the green demon spat out, glaring at her.

_'Shit. I have a mind reader on my hands.'_ She mentally cursed, calling the demon ever bad name she could think of. When she ran out of insults, she began to make some up.

"Enough!" Loki growled, leaping towards her. In a split second, he had her clasped in one of his hands. "Now, it's time to go." He readied himself to teleport to his mistress's palace. 

"HIEI!" Cassie screamed with all her might, praying that he could hear her. She knew better though. If Kurama was too far away, then the fire demon would be as well; however, that didn't keep her from calling out to him. "Hiei, help!" 

  


* * *

Hiei snapped around, drawing his sword as he jumped into a tree. He searched the area with his red eyes, a scowl on his face. _ 'Did I just hear her call out to me?' _he wondered. _ 'It's possible that my jagan could have picked up on it.' _

"Yo!" Yusuke called up to him. "What's the deal? You see or hear something?" 

"Shut up," he snapped in response, concentrating. After a moment, he removed his headband and began to search for Cassie with his mind. He connected to her after a brief moment, finding her in a state of near panic.

_'Cassie?'_ he called out to her, tone laced with worry. 

_'Hiei?! Thank Kami. Loki has me... Kaline too. I don't know why he took us; however I'm too weak to fight, and Kaline's near tears.' _ Cassie's voice sounded faint, like she was almost too tired to talk, even mentally.

_'Where are you?' _he asked, being practical.

_'I don't know. This is what it looks like though.' _Cassie sent him a mental picture of a large, lavish room. Elegant pillows big enough to fully stretch out on rested in a circle around a roman-style pool. On the edge of the picture was Kaline, tightly tied up with glowing green rope.

Hiei growled. That had not been of any assistance to him. _'Can you give me anything else that might help?' _

_'Well, Loki did mention that-' _

_'What do you think you're doing, bitch?!' _an angry voice demanded to know. 

That was all Hiei heard before his connection with the girl was cut off. Growling, he jumped down out of the tree. 

"Hiei, what was that all about?" Kurama asked as his friend replaced his headband around his forehead, covering the jagan eye.

The fire demon let loose a string of the worst cuss words he knew, many of which were in a demon language.

Kurama's eyes went wide. "What's wrong?" He understood the short demon well enough to know that something bad had happened.

"I talked to Cassie. Loki has the girls." The koorime's expression was dark and forbidding. 

_'No... Kaline can't be in that kind of danger.' _ The kitsune paled. "Please tell me you're joking."

"Do I look like I'm joking?!" Hiei retorted angrily, growling. "The bastard has them, and Cassie is nearly scared out of her mind. Kaline is about to cry, and I can't figure out where he took them." 

"Why didn't you ask Cassie where they are?" Kuwabara wanted to know.

The fire demon turned to the carrot top, ready to punch his lights out, literally. "I did, you idiot, and she had no clue! All I have is a picture of the room they're in." 

"Describe it," Yusuke recommended, somehow staying calm.

Hiei glared at the tall, stupid human for a moment longer and then did as Genkai's student had suggested. Once he was done, not one of the others could offer any ideas.

"I would guess that they are in a palace, but I could be wrong," Kurama stated, giving a small sigh. "I just wish that there was someone we could ask about Loki, maybe find out who he's working for and where he might be."

"Do you think perhaps Jin, Touya, or any of the others from the Dark Tournament might know anything?" Yusuke wondered.

The kitsune considered that idea for a moment while Kuwabara made another stupid statement, causing Hiei to nearly chop off the carrot-top's head. 

"We might as well ask them. It certainly can't hurt," the redhead said. "And it's not like we have a better plan."

"We don't even have a **worse** one," Yusuke added. "We desperately need more plans." 

"Hn." Hiei sheathed his sword, which had been aimed at Kuwabara's neck, and began to walk off. He turned around once to look at the other spirit detectives. "Are you coming or not?"

"Huh? Where are you going?" Kuwabara asked stupidly.

The fire demon nearly rolled his eyes. "Don't you ever ask anything intelligent?" 

"What's that supposed to mean?" the carrot-top retorted, shaking his fist at the short demon. "Are you calling me stupid?"

"Took you long enough to figure that out," Hiei commented, beginning to walk off again. "Now, if you're planning on talking to the demons with me, then I suggest you follow." 

"Oh." Kuwabara blinked dumbly, finally noticing that all the others were leaving him far behind. "Hey! Wait up!" 

  


* * *

The spirit detectives talked to every demon they could think of, but not one of them knew a thing. After three days, the four were beginning to feel disheartened. Hiei was even more on edge than usual, using any excuse to take his bad mood out on Kuwabara. Yusuke just couldn't seem to crack jokes, and Kurama was withdrawn, keeping pretty much to himself. Every so often, the kitsune would sigh or whisper Kaline's name. 

It was close to dusk when they stopped to camp, and Hiei and Kuwabara began to argue once again. The fire demon was winning when he suddenly froze, spinning around. 

Loki appeared about thirty yards away, surprising everyone except for Hiei; however, the three other spirit detectives didn't stay that way for long. Both Hiei and Kurama drew their weapons and prepared to attack. 

"Put those away," the enemy ordered. "If you attack and kill me, then you may never see your precious girls again."

The two demon spirit detectives froze at those words, lowering their weapons, but not putting them away. "Where are they, Loki?" Kurama demanded to know, voice cold.

"Don't answer and I'll slit your throat," Hiei added darkly, a murderous look in his eyes.

Loki just chuckled. "You wouldn't dare do that," he commented. "You'll lose the girls if you do." 

"Dammit, demon!" the fire koorime snapped.

"If you're not here to hand over the girls, then I suggest you start talking or start running," Yusuke stated, powering up his spirit gun.

"Now why would I hand over my wonderful toys before you give me a new one?" the green demon asked, smiling evilly. 

Kurama narrowed his eyes at the enemy. "What do you want? I'm assuming that it's in the Reikai vault." 

He nodded his head. "Yes, it is in there," he informed the redhead. "There's a vial of water from the Fountain of the Dragons that I want. Koenma has been guarding it for years, and I want you to bring it to me in exchange for the girls."

"Hn."

Loki turned his attention to the fire demon. "I've been having fun playing with your girl. She screams really loud. Yours too, Kurama."

"You bastard! What have you done to them?!" Hiei bellowed, unbelievable fury apparent on his face. "If you've touched her..."

"Oooooh, I most definitely have." He put great meaning into those words, letting the spirit detectives have a good guess about what the girls were going through.

"You've raped them," the kitsune growled out darkly. Green power swirled around him, making everyone except for Hiei take a step away from him. The fire demon didn't move because his power was doing the same thing. Their energies swirled around them, causing the air to pop and the grass to crackle beneath them. Green and red light began to spread out, forcing everyone to move even farther away. 

"Calm down you two," Loki suggested, leering at them. "I've done that and more. Let's just say that I know Kaline heals much faster than Cassie does." He cracked his knuckles, feeling pleased with himself. He loved torture. "Knives and whips are fun." 

"Bastard, you will pay for that!" Hiei raised his sword and launched himself at the enemy, using his great speed to his advantage. Kurama was quick to follow with his rose whip ready to strike.

Loki vanished an instant before the two demons could attack him; however, his voice remained. "You have three hours to bring the vial of water to this exact location. If you do not succeed in doing this, then I will keep the girls and begin even worse tortures." Chuckling followed that statement, which only infuriated the two demon spirit detectives even more.

"I'll bring you the vial," the kitsune promised. "And in return, you will free both of the girls."

"Three hours," Loki repeated, the remainder of his presence disappearing.

Hiei sheathed his sword. "Three hours."

  


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CotA: Hey people. I finally got the chapter posted. The next one should be out soon enough. 

L-Soul: Yes, bad things happen. Murphy's law seems to apply here. Everything that can go wrong is going wrong.

Neolannia: Sorry. *hugs Neolannia* Don't pout anymore please. It depresses me.

Midnight: Umm... there won't be much romance between anyone for a bit.

Rei Akita: *laughs* You know I'm going to update soon. I can't just leave my readers hanging forever. 

Yanou: I understand the computer problem. Mine goes on the fritz every so often. And the weather changes in her dream simply reflected her moods. If she's happy, then the sun will shine; if she's angry or sad, then the weather will reflect her mood as well. 

PWA: Yes, it was a sad chapter; however, it might be a bit before everything is all hunky dory again. 

kuramalover321: *smiles* I think you can read minds or something. You made an excellent guess about Loki. 

Lady Rose Jade: I grew bored of Rome. I like my new story much better. :) 


	17. Chapter Seventeen

For Love of a "Pet" 

Chapter Seventeen

"But, Koenma, we need the water!" Kurama protested, fighting back a growl. He couldn't believe that the ruler of spirit world wouldn't help him. It wasn't like he was asking a whole lot. He wasn't even planning on letting Loki keep the water, but Koenma didn't seem to care. 

He was in Reikai with Hiei, trying to talk Koenma into giving them the water from the Fountain of Dragons. Yusuke and Kuwabara were still out trying to find information on Loki or the girls.

"I said no," the toddler replied around the pacifier in his mouth. "And that is my final answer."

Hiei walked up to stand beside his friend and glare at the young ruler of the spirit world. "So, are you going to explain to Kaline and Cassie that you allowed Loki to do worse than rape them?" he inquired, tone dark and forbidding. He hated talking about what was happening to the girls, but if it helped save them, then he would do it.

"He's using whips and knives on them too," the kitsune added, voice filled with tension. He didn't want to think about what Kaline and Cassie were going through. They didn't deserve to be hurt.

Koenma swallowed nervously. "Well..."

"Cassie said that you gave her family permission to live in ningenkai, that she was on your side," the fire demon stated. "Are you just going to abandon her?"

"Um..." The toddler didn't know what to do. He wanted to help the girls, really he did; but his father would punish him if he let the boys give the water to the enemy. "I'm sorry."

"Fine," Hiei snapped, turning and storming out of the room. The redhead followed, his expression just as dark as the male koorime's.

"Oh, dear," Koenma whispered to himself as he sunk down into his chair. "I hope that they can find another way to save the girls." He leaned his head back, eyes on the ceiling. "Sometimes, Father, I hate your rules." 

  


* * *

"Kurama?" Hiei made his name a question, and the kitsune knew exactly what he was asking.

"Yes, if we can't get our hands on it one way..." The redhead drifted off, knowing that the fire demon would catch his drift.

"Then we'll get it another," the black-haired demon finished.

Kurama nodded his head. "Exactly." 

  


* * *

"Koenma, sir, your signature is needed on these," George stated as he plopped a stack of papers down on the toddler's desk.

The young ruler sighed and pulled out his stamp. He was about to begin stamping his signature on the papers when a siren began to blare and red lights started flashing.

"What is that?" Koenma demanded to know, frowning.

An oni burst into the room, his expression one of panic. "Koenma, sir, someone has broken into the vault!"

"WHAT?!"

  


* * *

Kurama and Hiei stood in the Makai forest in the exact location they had last seen Loki. The fire demon had his sword drawn and ready to strike, while the kitsune held the vial of water, trying not to appear worried. Green and red eyes searched the night-cloaked area for any signs of the enemy.

"How much longer?" Hiei asked, voice rough and cold.

The kitsune glanced down at his watch. "Perhaps ten more minutes before the three hours are up," he answered, not taking offense to his friend's tone. He knew that the fire demon was hiding his worry and fear behind a mask. _ 'I only wish that I could do the same.' _

Silence reigned for a few minutes. "What if he doesn't bring the girls?" the male koorime wanted to know, eyes flicking from side to side as he remained on the lookout.

"Then we don't hand over the vial," Kurama replied simply. "And as soon as he hands over the girls, we kill him."

"Slowly and painfully," Hiei added with a malicious smile. The thought of killing the demon who had hurt Cassie was the only thing keeping him from going on the rampage. He was picturing a lot of blood and guts along with plenty of screams coming from the demon.

"Very slowly and very painfully," the kitsune agreed, similar images in his mind. "I have a few plant poisons in mind. The quickest, least painful one would send him through a week of agony before finally killing him."

The fire demon liked the sound of that. "What's the worst?" 

"Three months of suffering before death," the redhead answered in a calm voice, as if he was speaking of the weather.

"Hn. Use that one."

After that, the two remained silent until Loki finally showed up. The acid green demon glared at the other two, expecting some form of foul play.

"Do you have it?" he inquired, sounding suspicious. He didn't trust the other demons.

Kurama briefly flashed him the vial that he held tightly in his hand. "Yes. Now, where are the girls?"

"Back at my mistress's place," Loki answered. "Give me the vial."

Hiei shook his head, red eyes dark and dangerous. "No. Not until you hand over the girls."

"I don't think so. If I hand over the girls first, then you two will run off with them and the vial," the many-armed demon retorted. 

"I propose a compromise," Kurama stated, green eyes unreadable. _'We have to get the girls away from him at all costs.' _"Let us exchange the girls for the vial at the exact same time." 

Loki considered that idea for a moment, obviously debating with himself. "Very well. I will have to take you to them."

"Just lead the way, bastard, and we'll follow," the fire demon spat out, hatred in his eyes.

"So be it." The enemy just smiled and began to walk off.

Kurama and Hiei exchanged looks before heading off after him. 

  


* * *

"Cassie, I wanna go home," Kaline whimpered, curling up into an even smaller ball. "I'm scared, I hurt all over, and I feel filthy. I don't wanna be here. I just wanna go home." Her never-ending stream of tears suddenly was accompanied by sobs.

The dark brunette curled up by her friend, making sure that she didn't touch the other girl. Kaline recoiled away from all physical contact. "I want to go home too." She rubbed her eyes, her face dry. She had run out of tears earlier that day. "I wish that we could find a way to escape."

"I don't know what I'll do if he returns." The blue-gray eyed girl buried her head in her arms, her whole body shaking. "I feel so hopeless."

Cassie couldn't think of a thing to tell her friend. She was all out of comforting things to say, and she felt the same way as her friend. Things were hopeless. "Hiei," she muttered brokenly, sniffling. "Where are you, Hiei? Why haven't you rescued me yet?" 

"No one's coming to save us," Kaline stated simply. "HE is the only one who knows where we are, and he isn't about to go tell anyone the location. Face it. We're stuck here for the rest of our lives." She broke out in fresh sobs. "And if he's right and I am a half demon, then I'm going to be here for a very, very long time."

"Kaline... I'm sorry for not telling you, but you are a half demon. Your mother was a demon, and I was sworn to secrecy when I found out. Now... please stop crying. It's not going to help." The teal-eyed girl gave a small sigh. Kaline was completely broken and ignoring her whenever she said anything about her mother or hope. She was refusing to believe that she was anything but human, if only because she didn't want to spend practically an eternity with the evil demon. 

_'I can't really blame her for being this way. He has been much harder on her and used her more than me, that much I know. After all, he made me watch him do everything to her.' _ Cassie violently shuddered at all the memories, trying her best to will them away. _'She's nearly died a few times, and it didn't help that she kept trying to heal me as well as herself. Poor Kaline. I want to go home, too.' _

Cassie sighed again as she eyed all of her cuts and bruises. She was not a pretty sight, but, then again, neither was Kaline. The lighter-haired girl didn't have all the wounds to show off because of her healing ability, but she was hurt worse on the inside, in more ways than one.

"Hiei!" she called out desperately, praying that he just might hear her.

_'Cassie!' _ Hiei replied, sounding surprised. He hadn't expected to hear her voice. _ 'Are you still there?' _

_'Yes, yes I am,' _she mentally called back, tears springing to her eyes. If she could talk to Hiei and just tell him a few things, then things just could turn out okay. _ 'Where are you?' _ She almost couldn't believe her good luck. Finally there was a small ray of hope.

_'I'm coming to get you. Kurama's coming too,' _he replied. _ 'Thank Kami the bastard isn't blocking off our contact.' _

_'I'll tell Kaline, but I don't think it'll do any good. He... he broke her,' _Cassie informed the fire demon sadly. _ 'I can't even touch her. She's scared of everything, and she's lost all hope.' _ She paused before continuing._ 'I almost did too.' _

_'I'm coming. I'll be there as soon as I can,' _Hiei replied as soothingly as he could. _ 'Just stay where you are and try to stay out of trouble.' _

She gave him a hollow laugh that he knew would haunt his dreams for a while. If Kaline was broken, then Cassie was close to it. _ 'I don't think that I can disobey. We're locked in this room.' _ She paused for a moment._ 'Oh, and Hiei? Tell Kurama not to say the demon's name around Kaline. She... reacts every time she hears it.' _

_'I will,'_ the male koorime responded._ 'And I'll be there as soon as I can.' _

_'Are you going to keep talking to me until you get here?' _Cassie wanted to know, sounding like a child who was afraid of the dark, or in her case, a demon. 

He sighed, not liking what he was going to have to say to her._ 'I don't believe that would be wise. If Loki finds out...' _ His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he sensed the girl shiver at the mentioning of the evil demon. She was terrified of him too.

_'So you're going to leave me alone again?' _ The dark brunette sounded pitiful, lost, and forlorn. 

_'I don't like it either, but I need to deal with the bastard, and you need to talk to Kaline.' _ The fire demon almost sighed. He most definitely did not want to disconnect his mind from hers.

_'Alright.' _ Cassie's voice was filled with tension, as if she was fighting back tears. 

_'I promise that I'll take you home as soon as I can.' _ His tone was firm and reassuring. 

_'Okay,' _she replied meekly.

Hiei mentally cringed at that. The poor girls had gone through so much, and if Cassie was better than Kaline, then he most definitely didn't want to see Kaline. _ 'Take care.' _ Then, he cut off the connection. 

Cassie turned her head to look at her friend. "Hey, Kaline. I just talked to Hiei. He says that both him and Kurama are coming. We're gonna be saved soon." 

"No, we're not," she protested, still crying. "He'll just kill them before they can even get here." 

"Ohhh... Kaline," the blue-green eyed girl said sadly, reaching out to touch her friend's shoulder. She wanted to comfort the other girl so badly. 

Kaline jerked away with a cry of fright, her body beginning to shake even harder. She was beyond terrified; she was in a state of blind panic.

"Everything will be fine; it just has to be. You'll see," Cassie insisted. _ 'At least, I hope it will be. After everything we've been through, I'm not sure if we even have the right to hope.' _

  


* * *

"Kurama," Hiei softly called over to his friend, knowing that telepathy around Loki was dangerous. "I finally talked to Cassie." 

"You did? How is she? How is Kaline? Is she okay? How badly are they hurt? Are-"

The fire demon cut off the kitsune's never-ending stream of questions. "They're not good. Cassie's in pretty bad shape, and Kaline's even worse. Cassie acts like a frightened child in the middle of a nightmare, and she shudders when Loki's name is mentioned."

"And Cassie was such a strong person." Kurama drifted off, fear in his eyes. "Then Kaline..." He shook his head, trying to clear it.

"Cassie said that she can't even touch her," Hiei whispered. "And Loki's name causes some kind of bad reaction in Kaline."

The redhead's eyes went wide, but they narrowed in anger a split second later. "Loki is going to pay," he hissed, a dangerous look on his face. 

The fire demon nodded his head in agreement, a similiar expression on his face. "Yes, he most certainly is." 

  


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CotA: Hey people! I finally got another chappie out. Thankfully, I'm a whole lot closer to the big climax. *cheers* But I'm still not sure how long this story will be. Oh, btw, I have a question for you, all my wonderful readers. I have at least three different YYH stories I could start next. The first two would be part of the Time series. One idea is to write a story about how Kaline first meets all of the spirit detectives as well as how she deals with all the evils demons they have to face. The second idea for the Time is a sequel to everything. There'll be some new enemies as well as a little history lesson about Kaline's parents and what Kaline is exactly. My third story would be an AU, which the summary is up in my bio. I'm gonna let you people choose which story I start next. I'm asking you guys now so I can plan out the story while I'm finishing up this one. That way, as soon as I'm done, I can start on the next one. Sound good? Cool. Well, the review responses are below. 

Rei Akita: Good. If it wasn't getting interesting, I'd be worried b/c I wouldn't be doing my job right.

Yanou: You're partially right about Kurama and Hiei being able to "hear" Kaline and Cassie b/c they're soul mates, but there's a little more to it. Hiei has his jagan, which helps him, and since Kaline had the joys of giving Kurama all the same abilities as her when she healed him... Well, there you go. And I'm not telling who's gonna kill Loki. That's a secret. ^_^

Midnight: Yes, that chapter was long.

Lady Rose Jade: I'll update soon. Promise.

Luraia Soul: Yes, a big fight is coming.

SunSeeker: I always took kitsune to mean either fox or fox spirit, but thanks for correcting me. And I forgot that Kurama has multiple tails. Ooops. Ummm... I claim authoress powers so he doesn't have them in my story. ^_^;;

Sam: A Columbian necktie...? Ummm... okay.

Bijin-chan: *laughing* thanks for the laugh. I needed it. My homework load is huge right now, so updating may not come for a bit. *sighs* I hate homework. 


	18. Chapter Eighteen

For Love of a "Pet"

Chapter Eighteen

Loki led Kurama and Hiei to a building that was a cross between a Roman temple and a palace. The entire structure seemed to be made of white marble that was brilliant even at night. Artfully carved columns held up the roof above the entrance, and from what the two demon spirit detectives could see, beautiful stain glass windows adorned the sides. The walls had images of clouds, wind, water, and other types of weather chiseled into them. Overall, the building was the grandest structure Kurama and Hiei had ever seen.

The kitsune studied the building with the calmest expression he could muster. Kaline was inside; he could sense it. Just where inside, he didn't know, but she was in the beautiful structure. That he was sure of. _ 'Don't worry, Kaline. I'm coming.' _

Hiei glared at the back of Loki's head, planning the green demon's destruction and searching for Cassie with his Jagan. He found her. She was inside the white marble building without a doubt._ 'I could kill him now and easily find her.' _

"I wouldn't recommend that," Loki stated, turning around and leering at the fire demon. "If you kill me, Cassie and Kaline will end up dead as well. My friends inside will kill the girls before you could even reach them."

The black-haired demon growled at his adversary, wanting nothing more than to cut his ugly head off. _'Stupid bastard is threatening Cassie,' _he mentally snarled as visions of Loki's death danced through his head.

The four-armed demon didn't reply; he merely turned around and went into the building. Kurama and Hiei followed. 

They went down a number of corridors, quickly finding out that the place was a labyrinth. While the three demons went left and right, Hiei continued to picture gruesome deaths that he had planned for his enemy. Kurama had similar images in his mind, and using the janen ju, the evil thoughts tree, sounded incredibly good to him at the moment. To him, Loki deserved an eternity of hallucinating whatever he feared the most.

Loki finally stopped outside a door, turning to face the other two demons. "They're in here. Now, give me the vial."

Kurama glanced at Hiei, and the fire demon nodded. So, the kitsune gave Loki the vial of water. _'I'll get it back later,' _the redhead thought, keeping one eye on his opponent as he went for the door.

"I don't think so." An evil smile on his face, Loki vanished with the water.

Deciding to deal with Loki later, the two spirit detectives opened the door and stepped into the room.

The first thing Hiei noticed was that the room was the wrong color. When Cassie had shown him the room, it had been white, light blue, and gold. The room he was in looked the same, except it was a reddish brown, the color of dried blood. The Roman style pool was filled with pink water, and even the ceiling was speckled with the new color. 

In the corner, the fire demon saw Kaline and Cassie both naked and curled in the fetal position. Cassie was covered in hundreds of cuts, some more recent than others. It was then that he realized the reason for the room's new color. It had been painted with blood... the girls' blood.

Kurama had noticed all the blood, but he ignored it as he raced over to Kaline, stopping just short of her so he could kneel down and make sure she hadn't been wounded. "Kaline?" She looked fine, but he couldn't be sure.

"Kurama...?" Kaline whispered as she looked at the redhead through blurry eyes.

He nodded his head. "Yes. It's me, and everything's going to be alright now, I promise." He reached out to touch her, but stopped in mid-motion, remembering what Hiei had told him. _'If Cassie can't touch her, then I won't be able to either.' _

She stared at him, blinking as she tried to recall more than just his name. _ 'Green eyes... red hair... so handsome... It_ is _Kurama... I remember him from all my dreams. He protected me from the demon in one of them. He'll protect me from him now.' _Suddenly, the girl flung herself into Kurama's arms, clinging to him for all she was worth. Sobbing, she buried her head in his chest, her whole body shaking. "I thought you would never come..." 

"Shhhh... It'll be okay, just you wait and see." The kitsune held her nude body tightly, stroking her hair in soothing motions. 

As Kurama interacted with Kaline, Hiei approached Cassie, worry filling him. When he crouched down in front of her, she finally looked up, a haunted look in her eyes. He almost couldn't believe what had happened to her. She looked beaten and scared, something he had never thought he would see in her eyes. He had always seen Cassie as a strong person, and the change in her almost scared him. 

"Cassie..." the fire demon whispered, sitting down Indian style. He pulled her into his lap, cradling her in his arms. She didn't fight him, merely snuggled close to his body. 

"Can I go home now?" Cassie pleaded, voice shaky and partially choked. She was trying not to cry. 

Hiei nodded. "Yes." 

  


* * *

Loki gingerly rolled the vial of water in his hands as he glanced over at Derek and Jormungand, a giant humanoid snake demon with black scaly skin and narrow yellow eyes. "Kill them," he ordered with an evil grin on his face. 

Derek nodded, his eyes shifting to black upon his mental command. After running his hands through his black hair, he went with Jormungand down the hall. 

Smiling, Loki walked down a different corridor to a special room where his mistress awaited him. She was a hard taskmistress, to be sure, but she was powerful, far more powerful than he would ever be. He adored her, worshipped her. She was practically a goddess; her powers were great and varied, making her unstoppable. 

He loved her. 

Taking a deep breath, he entered the special room that only he was allowed to go into. The room was ornate, every inch of it covered with tapestries, artwork, and beautiful rugs. In the center of it all stood a single black marble statue, gleaming in the torch light. 

The statue was of a beautiful woman, her long hair falling all around her like a waterfall. Her eyes were slightly slanted; her gaze was penetrating. A long-sleeved and high-collared dress clung to her like a second skin from her shoulders to her waist, where it promptly spread out, practically flowing around her. In one of her delicate hands she held a lightning bolt, and in the other hand she held a tornado. Wonderfully carved clouds seemed to swirl around her feet, so perfectly designed that they almost seemed fluffy. 

"I have the vial of water from the Fountain of Dragons, Mistress," Loki stated, kneeling before the statue. He had to show his mistress respect. 

_'Very good,' _a voice only he could hear replied. _'Now, pour it on the statue.' _

Nodding his head, Loki stood up and did exactly that. 

  


* * *

Kurama looked down sadly at Kaline as she clung to him, her whole body shaking. She was wearing his Chinese tunic, which covered her pretty well despite the fact it was too big on her. Only the high slits on each side revealed her legs. 

Cassie was in Hiei's black cape with the white collar, the garment falling down to her feet and fully covering her. The cape looked more like a dress than anything, which she would have been thankful for in a normal situation. As it was, she was just happy to have some clothes on again, and the fact that it was Hiei's was just a big added bonus. 

Hiei wrapped one of his arms around the dark brunette as she snuggled close to him. The girls seemed to be as physically ready to leave as they were going to get. Psychologically, he knew that they had to be yearning to flee their prison. 

"Time to go," the redhead told Kaline softly, beginning to lead her to the door. Hiei followed suit. 

Right as Kurama touched the door, it exploded, sending him and Kaline flying back. He pulled Kaline to his chest, taking the brunt of the impact with the floor himself. 

Hiei picked up Cassie and jumped to the side the instant the door had exploded, completely avoiding being thrown backwards. He didn't watch his friend go flying; instead, he gazed at the open doorway, finding two demons there--a snake demon and an ice demon, both of which were rather weak. 

"Derek," Kaline whispered as the fox demon helped her stand up. 

"That's Derek?" Kurama frowned. He had wanted to kill Loki, but he figured that the annoyance of Kaline's life would just have to do. 

"Hello, Kaline," the black-eyed demon stated with an evil smile. "I've a bone to pick with you. You nearly killed me back at the pond." 

"He was the one who tried to drown me?" she wondered, voice so soft that only the kitsune could hear it. 

At those words, the redhead decided that Derek would die by his hands and his hands alone. "Hiei, the snake demon is all yours." 

The koorime nodded, easily seeing in his friend's eyes that the kitsune had a personal vendetta with the ice demon. Of course, he had no problem settling for the snake demon, who was the stronger of the two. Hiei wanted to kill and destroy, and the snake demon was the closest target. If he hadn't been so angry, he almost could have felt sorry for his opponent... almost. 

Kurama placed something in Kaline's right hand. "If someone attacks you, throw this at his bare skin," he stated. "You can also press it into his skin. Either way, it'll burrow in. Then, just shout for me. I'll trigger the seed." 

She nodded, gently closing her hand around the seed--her only weapon. It felt nice to have something, but all her thoughts died out and she began to panic when Kurama released his arm from around her waist and stepped away from her. "No..." she whimpered, drawing in on herself. 

"It'll be fine," he informed her. "Just give me a few seconds to kill him, and then we can go home." 

That reassured Kaline a little, but only a little. She didn't want to be alone again. She wanted Kurama's comforting touch, which subconsciously made her feel safe. She didn't want him to leave her side. 

Hiei squeezed Cassie's hand before leaving her side. She didn't react like Kaline did, but she too hated being separated from the fire demon. 

"Stay back," the koorime advised her, drawing his sword. He had a feeling he wouldn't even have to use his spirit energy to kill the snake demon. The enemy just wasn't powerful enough for him to use his power. 

Cassie took Hiei's advice, stepping back. She didn't want to fight; she didn't have the strength or will to fight at the moment. So, she opted for letting the fire demon do it. 

His face expressionless, the koorime ran at the snake demon, swinging his sword twenty times in one millisecond before sheathing his sword and walking back to Cassie. Behind him, the snake demon collapsed into a pile of raw, well-diced meat. 

Kurama pulled out his rose, using his spirit energy to turn it into a thorned whip. Taking a few more steps towards his opponent, he let his anger finally break free. 

"So... you're the bitch's protector, huh?" Derek inquired, sneering. "Kinda pathetic, isn't she... not that you aren't as well." He hated the redhead, only because the kitsune was allied with Kaline. He had always hated Kaline for her pathetically sweet attitude, her innocence, her love for animals, and her inability to do anything with her demon powers. Of course, there were times that she could access her powers, but those were rare and fleeting. They were so rare, that he had only witnessed it once--the day he had tried to drown her and freeze her blood at the same time. 

"Shut up." Kurama glared at the enemy demon, his body radiating fury. He couldn't believe how the black-eyed demon had just insulted Kaline. It was infuriating how Derek had just called Kaline a bitch. 

"Why? Is she your bitch or something?" the ice demon taunted. 

The kitsune didn't answer verbally. He just used his whip to cut off Derek's head. More blood coated the floor, but he didn't care. It wasn't his house, and it wasn't like the room wasn't filthy already. 

Kurama went back to Kaline, briefly noting that Hiei was holding Cassie. The redhead picked Kaline up in his arms bridal-style, planning on carrying her out of the building and taking her home. He knew without a doubt that the exact same thing was on Hiei's mind. 

Kaline and Cassie let the men carry them, finally allowing themselves to relax a small fraction. They were still inside the much hated room, but they were as safe as they were going to get. They were with Kurama and Hiei. 

Right as the guys stepped out of the room, they were hit with a sense of overwhelming power. Something much bigger was happening, but neither could figure out what. Whatever it was, though, had to be bad. The power was reeking of evil and so strong that even Kaline and Cassie could sense it. 

Cassie's eye became wide with fear. "Shit." 

  


* * *

  


* * *

CotA: WOOHOO! Good bye stupid 12 pg english paper! I'm so freaken done! YES! *cheers* I'm done; I'm done. *dances around the room* *suddenly realizes that she's being watched* Ummm... *clears throat* I'm done now.

Sigmund: Thank goodness. You were scaring me.

CotA: Ohhhh... shut up. I'm just happy. That stupid paper took forever to write. 

Sess-chan: It's a good thing I helped you, or you would have never gotten done.

CotA: *hugs Sess-chan* Yes, I know, and I really appreciate it. I also have Bug to thank for reading through my paper for errors and getting it back to me so quickly. 

Sigmund: Are you finished talking yet?

CotA: No. I have a question for everyone. I've started writing a new YYH story, but I'm not too sure about it. I would love a second opinion on it. So, if anyone would like me to send them some of it, just ask. The only condition is that you tell me what you think. Okay? Coolie. 

Sess-chan: *rolls his eyes* Indeed. Now, on to more important things. 

CotA: Like what?

Sess-chan: The review responses, which are below. 

Purple Witchy Angel: Sad? I don't think they're sad. I think they've gone passed mad, passed pissed, passed everything I know into an uncharted realm when it comes to their level of anger. What exactly about Cassie and Kaline has you confused? I'll try my best to answer any questions you have. 

Luraia Soul: Relax! But I do find it funny how you want Kurama to kill Loki, and then you add that Hiei can help as a kind of after thought. *laughs* very cute. 

Bijin-chan: Don't ask about the Columbian necktie. But here's the good news. Most of my homework is done for the moment... including my stupid big long paper for english. 12 stupid pages. *grumbles* But I'm done, so I feel a lot better. 

Yanou: Killing you? Sorry about that. Okay... and one vote for the prequel. Gotcha. Considering that's the one I'm leaning towards at the moment... *grins* It should be fun to write. 

Midknight: Trust me on this one... I'm not known for writing sad endings. For heaven's sake, the one story I wrote that did have a sad ending I went back to and continued just so I could give it a happy one. Everything should be fine in the end... I think.

kittykat89: Good. I'm glad you like this story. I've been working really hard on it. 

spontaneousxhumanxcombustion: I don't have a clue what a Columbian Necktie is. And I have to agree with you. Koenma honestly should have been smart enough that Kurama and Hiei would get the vial any way they could. Seriously, the toddler should have moved the vial somewhere else, for safe-keeping. 

Lady Rose Jade: Thanks. ^_^ I can't wait to write the next one. And as for your story ideas... (WARNING! SPOILERS FOR FUTURE YYH EPISODES!) Hiei and Yukina are twins anyways. They have the same mom (Hina), and they were born at the same time. Hiei was just thrown off of the koorime island b/c he was a boy. Koorimes usually reproduce by making exact copies of themselves and giving birth to the copies, and all koorimes (except for Hiei, of course) are females. The koorimes on the floating island considered Hiei to be a forbidden child, since he was male. I feel so sorry for him. It's no wonder he's so cold, distant, and easily angered. He had a rough childhood. 


	19. Chapter Nineteen

For Love of a "Pet" 

Chapter Nineteen

Cassie's eye became wide with fear. "Shit." 

"What is that?!" Kaline squeaked, clutching at Kurama as terror rolled through her. The power she felt was evil, reminding her of Loki. 

"I don't know," Kurama admitted. _ 'This is not good.' _

"You're right... this isn't good," a silky feminine voice said. "Isn't good for you!" A stream of fire shot through the open doorway, the brilliant red flames eating away at everything in their path. Hiei and Kurama barely dodged, the girls still in their arms. 

"Show yourself, coward," Hiei spat out, setting Cassie down in a corner. He wanted her out of the way so she hopefully wouldn't be hurt during the battle. _ 'I have to get her out of here as soon as I can.' _

A beautiful woman stepped through the doorway, her long red hair falling down to practically her feet. Grass-green eyes stared into Hiei's red ones, her gaze penetrating and uncomfortable. Tiny lightning bolts played around her body and her long white dress, but she paid them no mind. They were just her magic. "Do not worry. I have no desire to harm the girls," she said softly. "In fact, I would like them to join me." 

"Mistress?" Loki came up behind the beautiful woman, bowing. "Are you sure? The girls are pathetic weaklings, beings not worthy of your attention." 

Kurama growled at the green-skinned demon, putting Kaline down and standing in front of her. Kaline just cringed, clinging to the kitsune. Her whole body shook with terror, panic quickly rising up in her. 

"No one insults a female in front of me!" The redheaded woman turned and pointed a finger at the demon, silver magic shooting out of it and surrounding him. Within an instant, the magic faded, leaving Loki gasping, fear in his eyes. "You hurt the girls," she continued. "You were not supposed to do that. You disobeyed me." 

Loki suddenly went flying across the room, landing almost perfectly between Hiei and Kurama. "Mis... Mistress?" he sputtered, looking up at her. 

"Since the girls are in such bad condition, I will allow their men to finish you off," the green-eyed female said. "It is what you deserve." 

Hiei smirked. The new female, who was obviously a demon, didn't seem to be all that bad._ 'Perhaps she's not our enemy,' _he thought, walking towards Loki. _'I'll deal with her later though. Loki has to die now.' _

Kurama brought out his whip, his eyes dark with hatred. The demon in front of him was the one who had hurt Kaline so badly. He was the one who had caused both girls so much pain. "Die." He lashed out Loki the instant Hiei did. Both of their attacks hit home. Hiei sliced off Loki's head, while Kurama sent his whip straight through the evil demon's heart. 

The green-skinned demon collapsed in a bloody heap, his eyes still wide open, his face frozen with an expression of terror. 

The beautiful woman smiled. "Good job," she practically purred. "But I am your enemy. I am the enemy of all men." Balls of fire jumped from her hand to Loki's, Derek's, and the snake demon's bodies, consuming them until there was nothing left. 

"I have no desire to fight you," Kurama stated. "I only wish to take Kaline out of here." 

Green eyes hard, she shook her head. "No. No males are allowed to approach me, Gaea, and live. I am a goddess," she responded, voice regal. "You men are nothing but worms." 

Hiei growled. "I would recommend you keep your mouth shut," he snapped. 

"If you fight us, you'll only end up dead," the kitsune added as Kaline crept towards Cassie. Both girls understood that something bad was going to happen and that they wouldn't be able to help. 

Gaea smiled, the expression dark and forbidding. "It is you who will end up dead. Soon, Hel will return with my sword. Once she does, no man will be able to stand up against me." She turned to Hiei. "I believe you know what I am talking about." 

The koorime frowned._ 'She can't be talking about the Siren Sword. There's no way.' _

The redheaded female clapped her hands. "Very good," she said, tone condescending. "You are obviously a little bit smarter than most males. The Siren Sword is mine, just like it was my mother's." 

_'She's a mind-reader, just like Loki,' _Hiei thought. 

"Loki was a mind-reader because of me," Gaea stated, a look of disgust on her face. "I hated having to use him, but he was only one I could transfer power to at the time. He was the only one who dared come close enough to my statue." She glanced over at the girls, her green eyes slightly widening after a moment. "You hurt them too." 

"What?" Kaline whispered, confusion on her face._ 'When did Kurama hurt me?' _she wondered. _'Is she talking about when I was angry at him?' _

Cassie figured out what the redheaded demon was talking about almost immediately._ 'She knows that Hiei emotionally hurt me. She went into my mind and found out.' _

"Bastards," Gaea spat out as she glared at the boys. "I will kill you both right now!" Wind swirled about the room as lightning erupted out of her hands, striking out at the demon males. They dodged as quickly as they could, but each time they did, a new lightning bolt came at them. 

As Hiei avoided attack after attack, he slowly made his way towards Gaea. Soon, he was close enough to slash her with his sword, which he immediately tried. A huge gust of wind blew him away, slamming him into a wall. Almost immediately after that, he saw a huge ball of fire and a lightning bolt headed his way. He jumped out of the way, but a fireball he hadn't noticed collided with his body, throwing him into and then through a wall. 

"HIEI!" Cassie screamed. "NO!" 

Kurama glanced over his shoulder to see what had happened to his friend. "Hiei!" 

In the kitsune's moment of distraction, Gaea blasted him with both wind and fire, sending him through the hole that the koorime had made. 

"Kurama..." Kaline whimpered. "It can't be." She shook her head in disbelief. Her protector had just been hurt or killed. "KURAMA!" 

Gaea laughed softly. "Pathetic men. They are no different from my bastard father." She turned to the girls, the look in her eyes gentle. "Kaline, Cassie, you do not have to put up with men like them anymore. Join me, fight alongside me, and I will help protect you. I will keep you safe from them. You do not have to end up like my mother, thrown out of the house for a stupid reason." 

"What?" Cassie sputtered, staring up at the woman in shock. _ 'Is she nuts? Does she honestly think we'll join her after what she did to Hiei and Kurama?' _

The redheaded woman sighed. "I am sorry that you choose to side with the men, Cassie. You could have been something great, but I can see that you are just as blinded as my mother had been." 

"Your mother?" Kaline repeated, sounding confused. _ 'What is going on? Too much is happening. I just want to go home!' _

"My mother was the mistress to a powerful demon king," Gaea explained, a sad expression on her face. "He supposedly loved her so much that he made a sword for her--the Siren Sword. But then, he abandoned her... all because she became pregnant... with me." She reached out a hand to Kaline. "Join me, and nothing like that will ever happen to you. I promise." 

The blue-gray eyed girl drew away from the woman in fear, shaking her head. "No. I don't want to join you. I want Kurama to take me home!" 

Gaea sighed. "You do not seem to understand. Men only bring pain and suffering. Side with me and you will be able to avoid all that." 

"You don't seem to understand," Kurama stated as he came back into the room, his right arm hanging uselessly at his side. Gaea's attack had knocked him out for a few moments, but it had been nothing serious. "They told you that they don't want to join you. Leave them alone." 

"You should respect their wishes," Hiei added, coming up to stand beside his friend. He sported a long gash on his back, the wound bleeding sluggishly. _'She's strong.' _

Gaea sneered at them. "I did not ask you two worms to comment," she snarled. "The girls can make their own choices." She turned back to Cassie and Kaline. "Well?" 

They both shook their heads. "I want to go home with Kurama," Kaline whispered. "Please, let him take me home." Cassie quickly echoed her friend's sentiments. 

"Fine. You all can die!" she screamed in fury as wind, fire, and lightning filled the room. The place quickly began to resemble a fire tornado that spat out lightning bolts. 

In an instant, Hiei and Kurama were standing in front of the girls, taking the brunt of the attack for them. The wind was incredibly fierce, and the fire burned, but the lightning kept missing them. Gaea was too angry to aim. 

"Good-bye," Gaea whispered, turning her glowing green eyes on the four. 

"No. Good-bye to you," Hiei replied, tearing off his headband. "Dragon of the darkness flame!" A huge black dragon erupted out of his left hand, shooting straight at the evil demon. 

She shook her head at the approaching attack. "No attack made of fire can hurt me," she started, setting up a shield of silver power. 

The dragon of the darkness flame attack hit the shield and bounced off, turning around to head back at its creator. 

"Shit," Hiei muttered, moving to absorb the attack. He didn't want to, but he didn't see any other option. 

"Think again," Gaea informed him, adding her magic to the attack. She grinned when the dragon collided with the group, sending them all flying through a few walls to the forest outside. "Now they will all die." 

  


* * *

Yusuke slammed his fist into the top of Koenma's desk. "What do you mean they took the vial of water and vanished?! How can you not know where they are?!!" 

The toddler glared at the raven-haired punk. "It's not my fault. Hiei and Kurama just took off. I assume they're out trying to rescue the girls." 

"They could have at least brought us with," Kuwabara complained. "We would've helped them." 

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do to help you," Koenma stated, voice curt. 

"No one has a clue as to where they went," Botan added. 

Yusuke growled, turning around and storming off. The ruler of the spirit world had not been any help. "C'mon, Kuwabara," he said. 

"Where are we going?" the carrot top inquired, sounding confused. 

He didn't even turn around to answer his friend. "We're going to find Hiei and Kurama and help them rescue the girls." 

"Ohhh..." Kuwabara raced off after Yusuke. 

Koenma sighed. "Botan, you'd better go with them." 

"Right." She nodded and ran after the two males. 

  


* * *

Hiei groaned softly as he sat up. His whole body ached. Never before had he ever experienced an attack like that. _ 'Cassie...' _ He looked around, finding Cassie about twenty feet away, sprawled out on the grass, unconscious. Kaline was even farther away, with Kurama a few feet in front of her, his whip clutched tightly in his left hand. His right arm still hung limply at his side. 

The fire demon stood up and grabbed his sword, waiting for Gaea to come out and try to finish them all off. 

She didn't disappoint them, and she even brought someone out with her--another female demon. 

The new demon had long black hair and pure white eyes. The right side of her face was beautiful, but the other half was horribly scarred, as if someone had either burned it or poured acid over it. Her black shirt and pants hung from her thin body. In her hands, she held a sword--Cassie's Siren Sword. 

"So they are not dead yet. Interesting," Gaea said softly, cocking her head slightly to one side. I guess I have to take more... drastic measures." She turned to the black-haired demon. "My sword please, Hel." 

The scarred demon gave the redheaded female the weapon. "Here, Gaea." 

"Thank you," she replied politely, accepting the blade. "Now, you may want to leave. I don't want you ending up hurt." 

Hel smiled, her expression twisting the scarred side of her face into something even more gruesome. "I will, Gaea," she replied. "And please be careful." 

"Do not worry. I will be fine," Gaea stated. 

With a nod, the black-eyed demon disappeared. 

The evil female turned to her opponents. "Now to deal with you all." She pointed her sword at Hiei, sending a spark of magic into the blade. Beautiful music instantly filled the area, the sound watery and magical--the song of the siren. 

The sound immediately affected both Hiei and Kurama, leaving them helpless. Neither could move; they could barely even think. The music destroyed their will to fight, and the worst part was that they couldn't figure out a way to defend themselves. 

Strangely enough, the siren singing woke Kaline up. She moaned softly, sitting up and looking around for Kurama. She found him nearby, not moving. "Kurama?" she whispered, going over to him. She had a bad feeling about what was going on. "Kurama?" she repeated when he didn't respond. He didn't even move when she touched his bare back. 

She moved around to face him, finding his eyes gazing off into the distance. He was in a daze, but she couldn't quite figure out why. "Kurama?!" she exclaimed, tears coming to her eyes. "Please snap out of it!" 

"He can not respond to you," Gaea stated, walking toward the crying girl. "The song of the Siren Sword disables all males. No man can stand up to the song, which means that he will be incredibly easy to kill." 

"No..." Kaline whispered, wrapping her arms around Kurama's waist. "No." 

_~"Kaline... I'm sorry for not telling you, but you are a half demon. Your mother was a demon, and I was sworn to secrecy when I found out."~_

Blue-gray eyes opened wide at the memory._ 'Demon...' _

_~"You're mine little girl... for all eternity. You wanna know why?" Loki taunted. "You're a demon."~_

_'If I'm a demon, then surely I can find some way to protect Kurama from Gaea,' _she thought as she remembered what Sombra had told her the last time she had slept. 

_~'Kaline, you're a half demon. Your mother was a demon, and your father was a human sorcerer. You've been using some of your sorcerer powers to heal yourself and Cassie, but you need more power. You need to use your demon powers. You have to accept me, your demon half. If you don't, you may end up dead.'~_

Gaea smiled as she prepared to strike down at Kurama with her sword. 

_'I accept my demon half,' _Kaline thought, reaching into herself for her power. _ 'I have to accept my demon half to keep Gaea from killing Kurama and me.' _

"Good-bye, worm," the evil demon snarled. 

"NO! Don't touch Kurama!" Kaline screamed as her eyes became bright blue and her hair lengthened, turning to black at the same time. Her ears moved to the top of her head, becoming black cat ears that twitched, and a tail sprouted out behind her. 

Then power erupted from her in all directions. The bright blue magic filled the area, sending Gaea flying back, leeching the sword from her in the process. The power even flowed over Kurama, Hiei, and Cassie. 

After a few moments, her blue magic disappeared, leaving almost no trace as to what had happened. Kaline had even assumed her normal form once again. Even her half-closed eyes were back to their blue-gray color. Only the Siren Sword, laying in front of the cat demon, visually proved that the girl had done anything. 

With the siren song no long filling the air, the males could move again; however, they had a new challenge. Kaline's power danced inside of them, healing them and trying to do something. Hiei couldn't quite figure it out, but Kurama did. 

The kitsune opened himself to the power, absorbing it and making it his own. It wasn't that hard, considering that Kaline was his soul mate. Her power had no problems adapting to him, strengthening him. _'Now the bitch is going to pay,' _he thought as he gently flexed his right arm. It was working again. 

Gaea hissed as she stood up. "That was stupid," she snarled. "You hurt me when you did that, but you also hurt your friends." 

Kaline shook her head. "No. I didn't," she replied weakly. Then, she closed her eyes and collapsed against the fox demon. 

Kurama gently laid the light brunette on the ground. "You pushed me too far," he stated, standing up. "Prepare to pay." 

Right then, Hiei smirked. He had figured out what to do with the power and had promptly absorbed it. Truthfully, it hadn't been that easy, especially since the magic was from a half human. He had done it though, and he felt more than ready to kill Gaea for hurting Cassie, who was still unconscious. 

"Hn. Die." The koorime leapt at Gaea, his sword ready to slice her in half. She dodged and fired a bolt of lightning at him, the magic crackling through the air. In response, he sent some of his power into his sword, using the blade to block the attack. The lightning bolt bounced off, striking a nearby tree. _ 'It seems that Kaline's power did more than just strengthen me.' _

Gaea glowered at the fire demon, Kurama completely forgotten. "How could you have possibly reflected that?" she muttered, sounding furious. "Oh well. I guess I just need to try something else!" 

The earth suddenly shot up around him, quickly coming crashing back down on top of his head. He dodged at the last second, a small smile on his face as he stood on top of the dusty heap, his sword in hand. 

"Was that the best you can do?" Hiei asked, launching at her again. 

Gaea fired lightning bolt after lightning bolt at him, becoming worried as he dodged every single one. "Die, worm!" she shouted, summoning up a huge wind and sending it at him. 

The blast sent Hiei flying through the air and into the top of a tree. The crashing noise woke Cassie up, and she quickly noticed that the battle was still raging. One thing caught her eye though. Kurama was glowing with power and his hair had changed colors. The rest of him was following suit. 

The redheaded woman smiled evilly. "That took care of him for the moment. Now to retrieve my sword." 

"Have you forgotten something?" a smooth masculine voice inquired, drawing her attention to a male with silver hair and golden eyes. 

"Who are you?" Gaea inquired, frowning. Something had happened, but she didn't know what. 

"Youko," he replied, looking down at a small seed that he had in his hand. "Prepare to die." The seed suddenly sprouted, changing into a gigantic tree that had mouths at the end of its branches. Saliva dripped out of the mouths and hit the ground, eating away at the grass and dirt. The saliva was acidic. 

Her grass-green eyes widened in fear. She knew exactly what plant she was facing. "The death tree," she whispered, backing away. Never in her life had she been forced to face the death tree, but she knew what it could do to her. It could kill her. 

Gaea took another step back, forming a ball of fire in her hands. She hoped that fire could burn the death tree and then destroy it. If not, she figured that lightning might have an effect as well. 

"Why do you run?" Youko Kurama asked calmly, the branches of the tree moving towards her. 

She didn't verbally respond, moving back a little more. She gasped as immense pain shot through her stomach. Glancing down, she saw a bloody sword protruding out of her. "Ho- How?" she sputtered. 

"You let your guard down," Hiei replied, pulling the sword out of her and pushing her towards the acid-dripping plant. "Your fear defeated you." 

Then, the air was filled with her screams as the death tree ate her. 

  


* * *

  


* * *

  


* * *

CotA: Sorry I didn't update yestderday. To make up for that, I wrote a longer chappie than usual. ^_^ I'm so proud of myself. From here on out, the story will get to slowly come to a close. I have a few loose ends to tie up, and then I'm done. *cheers* Now I just have to get to work on the prequel. That should prove to be interesting. BTW, the review responses are below.

FoxLion: Better now that you know what's going on? 

Luraia Soul: The mystery chick was Gaea. *sighs* I really should stop reading up on my mythology. 

Midnight: Yes. Derek went bye-bye. I'm happy about that too. 

Purple Witchy Angel: I'm mean, aren't I? I keep putting up cliffies. And about Cassie and Kaline's backgrounds... Cassie is a full water demon, while Kaline is half human, half demon. Their parents were close friends. That's a basic overview. I don't want to tell you anymore, just in case it becomes important later in the story. 

Yanou: I haven't started writing the prequel yet. It's a totally different story (which you'll see when you check your email). ^_^;; Sad, I know, but I keep starting new stuff. *sighs* I really should restrict myself on how many stories I start. And I have no problem with you giving me your completely honest opinion. If anything, RL Cassie has been quite a bit more harsh when it comes to giving her opinion on my stuff. And no, I will NOT do your paper for you. I HATE writing papers. 

spontaneousxhumanxcombustion: Yes, they've finally gotten the girls. I'm happy about that. And finally the story gets to wind down. I have to fix the girls since the big battle is over. Yippee. 

Rei Akita: *chuckles* I'll update soon. Really I will. 

Bijin-chan: *laughs and hugs Bijin-chan* It's okay. Really it is. You'll be fine. And well... I HAD all my homework done a few days ago. Stupid teachers gave me more. 


	20. Chapter Twenty

For Love of a "Pet"

Chapter Twenty 

"This is insane," Yusuke muttered, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. "We've looked all over the place. They're no where within a freaken five mile radius of the meeting place." 

Kuwabara crossed his arms. "The least they could have done was leave some kind of trail for us to follow." 

"Now, now. I'm sure they would have done something if they had been given the chance," Botan said soothingly. "After all, they were probably being watched." 

"Kurama's smart," the carrot top retorted. "I'm sure he could have thought of something." 

Yusuke nodded. "Yeah, like a trail of pretty flowers." 

"Which would have been a waste of spirit energy that he might have needed for the upcoming battle," the ferrygirl pointed out. 

"Oh, yeah." Genkai's student gave the girl a rather sheepish look. "I forgot about that." 

Botan sighed. "We'll just have to keep looking." Her face suddenly lit up. "Wait a minute! I know what we can do." She pulled something that resembled a watch out of her obi. "We can use the demon compass." 

Kuwabara looked down at the small device. "Hey, didn't Yusuke break that back during Genkai's tournament?" 

"Yes, but this is the newer version," she cheerfully declared, grinning like an idiot. "We should be able to find they guys with this, no problem!" 

"Unless they manipulate their energy," Yusuke commented blandly. 

Botan hung her head. She needed to find the guys and take them back to Reikai, mainly because they had quite a bit of explaining to do. "Oh yeah..." She brightened back up again. "But the girls won't be able to. We can locate them!" Smiling, she turned on the compass, which instantly began pointing off to their right. "Let's go!" Without waiting for a response, she ran off, the boys at her heels. 

Fifteen minutes later, the three heard piercing screams that sent shivers down their spines. The screams were female. 

"Do you think that Kaline or Cassie...?" Botan cut herself off, unable to even finish the sentence. 

Yusuke balled his fist. "For Loki's sake, it'd better not be them." He sprinted towards the direction of the screams, fearing the worst. When everything became silent, he powered up his spirit gun and continued walking, Kuwabara and Botan not far behind. The carrot-top already had his spirit sword in hand, the magical orange blade crackling slightly with energy. 

"Hn. Fool." 

They perked up upon hearing those words. "That was Hiei," Botan stated happily, clapping her hands. "Maybe they're okay." 

"There's just one way to find out." Yusuke worked his way through another ten feet of trees, only to come out in a clearing, a Roman-style palace not too far away. In the clearing stood Kurama and Hiei, and the girls were with them. Kaline was in the redhead's arms, obviously unconscious, while Cassie was wide awake and clinging to Hiei. 

"What happened?" Kuwabara inquired, looking all around him. The palace walls had a vast portion of a few walls taken out, and holes dotted the clearing, as if acid had eaten away at it. 

"Do you become stupider as you grow older, or is it just me?" Hiei retorted, holding Cassie close to him. The instant the others had entered the clearing, she had begun to shake from complete terror. Her ordeal with Loki had left her with a basic fear of people... not that he blamed her. She wasn't scared of him or Kaline, but the fire demon wasn't too sure about Kurama. 

"HEY! You take that back, shrimp!" the carrot-top ordered, storming up to shake his fist in Hiei's face. 

In reaction, Cassie cringed and moved to stand behind Hiei, placing him between her and the tall human. "Don't hurt me," she whispered, voice soft, almost a whimper. 

The koorime growled at Kuwabara, who was just standing there in shock. "Back off before I rip off your head," he threatened. 

The carrot-top obeyed, if only because the girl looked so scared of him. 

"How's Kaline doing?" Yusuke asked, walking over to Kurama, ignoring Kuwabara and Hiei. 

"She is still unconscious, but when she was awake she was not doing good," the redhead replied, gazing down at the sleeping girl in his arms. Kaline looked so helpless, so meek in his arms, that he couldn't help but feel his protective instincts rise up. She had been through so much... none of which she had earned. 

The brown-eyed male nodded in understanding. "You'd better take her home then." 

"Actually," Botan interrupted. "Koenma wants to talk to Hiei and Kurama immediately." 

"I'm taking Cassie home," Hiei retorted, glaring at the ferrygirl. Who was she to tell him what to do? "Tell Koenma that I had more important things to take care of." 

She winced. "I understand, but um... Koenma insisted. If you don't show up, your punishment will be increased at least ten-fold. He's not happy about the fact that you stole that vial of water." 

"I don't care." He turned to walk off. 

"He also has important things to tell both Kaline and Cassie... especially Kaline," Botan added. "And he needs to tell you what Kaline's magic did to you." 

_'Shit.' _Hiei looked back at Cassie, asking about her opinion with his eyes. She barely nodded, so he turned back to Botan and glared. "Very well. We'll go see him." 

Kurama sighed. "Since we do not have a choice, I make an appearance as well." 

Yusuke crossed his arms, frowning. "This is crap. Stupid toddler making the girls come. They should be able to go home." 

"Yeah. They've been through enough," Kuwabara agreed. 

Botan smiled. "Alright. Let's go." 

  


* * *

"Koenma, sir. Botan and the others are back," George stated as he walked into Koenma's office. 

"Thank you, Ogre. Send them in please." The toddler leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms, as seven people filed through the door. Botan came first, followed by Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama with Kaline, and Hiei and Cassie. Kaline was unconscious, and Cassie was clinging to Hiei, fear in her eyes. 

"Would it be possible to make this meeting short?" Kurama inquired. "I would like to take Kaline home so she can wake up in familiar surroundings." 

"I'll see what I can do," Koenma replied. "Now, first off, your opponent Gaea was a most unusual demon. She was so strong that no one could find a way to kill her, so she was imprisoned in a statue." 

"Basically, none of your spirit detectives were strong enough to destroy her," Hiei translated, smirking. 

The toddler frowned. "Not exactly. She went around murdering every male she could find, demons and humans alike, so there were many S class demons who wanted her dead. Unfortunately, with the Siren Sword in her hands, no male could get close enough to her to kill her. So, we did the only thing we could. She wasn't supposed to be set free, but you two were stupid enough to hand over the vial of water and then let Loki keep it." 

"I had other things to deal with, in case you've already forgotten," Hiei spat out, tightly holding onto a trembling Cassie. "And you are supposed to explain about Kaline's magic." 

Kurama nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, her magic puzzles me. I have never seen anything quite like it." 

"I'm getting there. Be patient," Koenma retorted, muttering under his breath before continuing. "Kaline is half cat demon." 

"She's what?!" Kuwabara explained. "Why didn't you tell us that earlier?!" 

"Because it was supposed to be kept secret. Her parents wanted it that way," the toddler replied. "While her mother was a demon, her father was a human sorcerer. They both lived in Makai until demons and other sorcerers began hunting them down. That's when they fled to ningenkai with Cassie's parents, seeking refuge on Earth. I granted it to them." 

Hiei growled. "That still doesn't tell me what her magic did to me." 

Koenma sighed. "To be perfectly honest, her power enhanced a few of your abilities, but only for a short time. In a week, you'll be back to normal. As for Kurama... the effects her magic had on him will last much longer. In fact, I don't know if they'll ever fade. Her magic healed both of you, restoring your spirit energy in the process. She was the only reason you two were able to defeat Gaea. Without her, you two would have been nothing more than another notch on her sword." 

"Hn. Whatever." The fire demon mentally shook his head. The ruler of Reikai was an idiot._ 'I would have found a way to kill her. She wasn't that strong.' _

"Oh... so how would you have dealt with the Siren Sword?" the toddler wanted to know, narrowing his eyes at the koorime. 

"Hold on, what's the Siren Sword?" Yusuke inquired. 

Botan decided to step in at that point. "Well, it's a blade that was forged a long time ago by a demon king for his favorite mistress. It was supposed to protect her from all males. No male can touch it, and the sword can produce a sound which renders all men helpless." 

Koenma nodded his head. "Precisely." 

"Well, isn't that just lovely," he muttered sarcastically. "Please don't tell me another evil demon has it." 

The ferry girl shook her head. "Nope. I brought it back." 

"Keep that thing away from me," Kuwabara declared, backing away from Botan. He didn't like the idea of the sword. Anything that could turn a guy into a helpless ninny was bad news. 

Botan huffed slightly. "Oh, calm down. I'm not going to use it." 

"I don't care," the carrot-top retorted. 

Koenma frowned. "That's enough! Now, time to get back to business." He cleared his throat. "Hiei, Kurama, you two stole the vial of water from out of the Reikai treasure vault." 

"Yes. And your point is?" Hiei growled back, glaring at the tiny ruler. 

"Well, you will have to be pun-" 

At that moment, Kaline began groaning, an expression of pain on her face. Then, she screamed, eyes flying open. She stopped screaming long enough to clutch at Kurama, tears on her cheeks. The redhead attempted to soothe her, but as soon as she caught sight of all the strange people in the room, she screamed again, panicking. 

"Will someone please shut her up!?" Koenma demanded to know, covering his ears. 

"Kaline, it's all right. They're friends," Kurama informed her gently, trying to calm her down as best as he could. It took a while, but she eventually quieted. She still violently shook though, tears in her eyes. She was scared; there was no doubt about that. 

"Kurama, can you take me home now?" Kaline asked in a pitiful voice, her bloodshot blue-gray eyes searching his green ones. 

"Um... well. I don't know if I can." He looked up at Koenma for an answer. 

"He has to stay here for punishment, but Botan can take you home," Koenma informed the girl in a kind voice. 

The blue-gray eyed girl instantly began to wail, hugging on even tighter to Kurama as she pressed his face into his bare chest. "No, no, no, no, no..." she mumbled in-between the sobs, her whole body shaking. The kitsune tried to comfort her, but she just cried even harder, thinking that she was going to be separated from him. 

"Ahhh...." the ruler of Reikai immediately became flustered, unsure of what to do. He couldn't figure out a single thing to say to the crying girl, especially since she had been through so much. Not thinking clearly, he looked over at Cassie and Hiei. 

"No," she whispered, shaking her head as moved behind Hiei, putting him between her and the toddler. She was determined not to go anywhere without her protector. 

_'This is just great. What in the world am I going to do? If I put the guys in jail for stealing, then the girls are going to be even more devastated than what they already are, and I don't want THAT hanging over my head. I have to punish the guys somehow though, but... if the girls won't leave their sides...' _Koenma sighed. "Hiei, Kurama, what you did was very wrong, but you did it for the right reasons. I'll deal out your punishment later. I need time to think on it, so take those girls home." 

Hiei looked shocked for a moment, but he quickly recovered, a rare look of gratitude in his eyes. "Time to leave," he informed Cassie, voice soft. She sighed in relief and left the room with him. 

Kurama just hugged Kaline close, whispering sweet nothings in her ear as he left Reikai. 

Koenma took a deep breath and let it out once the four were gone. "Father's so gonna kill me." 

  


* * *

Hiei took Cassie to her house, finding the place marked off with police tape. He scowled at the yellow thing, and then used his sword to cut it._ 'Stupid stuff didn't belong in her yard anyway,' _he thought as he carried her inside. One part of the house (the guest bedroom) was marked off with more police tape, but he just ignored it. Instead, he took Cassie into her bedroom and laid her down. 

"Please stay with me," she pleaded when he began to stand back up. "I don't want you to go. I don't want to be alone." 

The fire demon couldn't say no to her, not when she was in such bad shape. Nodding his head, he put his sheathed sword on the ground by the bed and crawled under the covers beside her, cradling her against his chest. She buried her face in his shirt and slowly cried, her tears soaking the material. 

Not knowing exactly what to do, Hiei whispered soothingly to her as he stroked her hair, praying to whoever would listen that she would be okay. He hated seeing her in such a sad state. She was the strong girl who dared slam the door in his face and who put up with his attitude. 

"I was so scared," Cassie mumbled. "I thought that I was going to have to stay with him forever. It was so horrible..." Her tears began to come even faster. 

"You're safe now," the male koorime told her softly. "I won't let anyone hurt you ever again." 

"Promise?" She looked up at him like a child would look at an adult who had just said that he or she would stay up to protect her from the monster under the bed. It was one of the most trusting and heart- wrenching things he had ever seen. 

He nodded his head. "Yes. I promise." 

  


* * *

Kurama walked into Kaline's bedroom, the girl quietly sleeping in his arms. She had gone through so much, and he had a feeling that her quiet sleep wouldn't last for long. Nightmares would come, and he knew that he couldn't do anything to prevent them. 

Giving a sigh, he laid her down on the bed; however, he couldn't move away from her. She had latched onto a long lock of his hair as if it were a lifeline. 

"I'm not going anywhere, Kaline," he whispered, trying to remove his hair from her tight grasp. "So please, just let go. I swear that I won't leave." 

Her eyes suddenly fluttered open. "Kurama?" She stared at him through half closed eyes, her grip on his hair relaxing so he could relieve his aching scalp. 

"Yes, I'm here." The kitsune reached out with one hand to caress her cheek, finding it wet with tears. "And I'm staying here too, so there's nothing to worry about." 

She nodded her head. "Okay." She was silent for a moment. "Um... Kurama?" 

"What is it?" Kurama inquired softly. 

"Could you please just hold me for a while? I don't feel safe for some reason." The broken look in her eyes tore his heart apart. 

"Of course," he replied, climbing into bed with her, spooning his body against her. He wrapped his arms about her tightly, instinctually knowing that she would find the pressure reassuring. 

"Thank you," Kaline whispered as she closed her eyes, snuggling back against his chest as she tightly clutched at his hands with her own. 

"You're welcome." 

"Will you be here when I wake up?" Her voice was soft and timid. 

"Do you want me to be?" he inquired, unsure of exactly how she wanted him to respond. 

"Yes, I do," she answered a split second later. She didn't want Kurama to ever leave her alone. 

"Then I will. I'll stay with you as long as you want me to." 

Kaline yawned softly. "Thank you, Kurama... for everything." 

"Try and get some sleep. It might do you some good," he replied. _'It's not very likely because of the nightmare problem, but it is a possibility.' _

"Okay. 'Night." Then, she fell fast asleep. 

  


* * *

Kaline woke up with Kurama still holding her, his face buried in her hair. "Kurama?" she began, wondering if he was awake. 

"Yes? Do you need anything?" he responded immediately. He had stayed awake all night, soothing her as best as he could whenever nightmares had plagued her. They had plagued her quite often. 

"Well... I..." She cringed. "I feel dirty," she whispered. "I wanna take a shower, but... I don't want to be alone. Can you please come with me? Pretty please?" 

"Of course," the kitsune replied, giving her a gentle squeeze. _ 'It's not like I could say no to you.' _

Rewarding him with a smile that was a mere ghost of her old one, she climbed out of bed as if she hurt all over her body. Movements slow, she grabbed some clothes and then looked at Kurama. 

Getting the hint, he climbed out of bed and walked with her to the bathroom. The instant he shut the door, Kaline turned on the water and stripped off the Chinese tunic of his that she had been wearing. She didn't seem embarrassed at all, unlike the old Kaline who would have blushed like mad. 

Eyes pitiful, she tugged lightly on the redhead's hand. "Kurama?" She looked at the shower and then back at him, silently pleading with him. 

"Okay." He lightly kissed her on the forehead before he stripped as well. _ 'Kaline's too scared to even take a shower on her own. The poor girl has been through so much. I hope that Loki is in the lowest level of hell,' _he thought as he followed her into the shower. 

Kaline instantly went to work on scrubbing every inch of her skin vigorously, having Kurama wash her back. She faced away from him the entire time, almost as if she was ashamed of herself. After washing her hair for the third time, she broke down crying. 

"I still feel dirty," she said in between sobs. "Why don't I feel clean?" 

Kurama wrapped his arms around her, making sure that his lower body didn't touch hers. He didn't want her to know that he was aroused. He knew that it wasn't right, but he really couldn't help himself. Kaline was nude, wet, and right in front of him. 

"I don't know," was all he could think of to say. "You look clean to me." He tenderly kissed the top of her wet head as the hot water sprayed all over them. "Do you feel dirty on the inside or the outside?" 

"Both, I think," Kaline responded with a sniffle. 

They were silent for a while. Kurama didn't know what to say, and the light brunette was thinking. 

After a while, she broke the silence. "Kurama... please, make me forget his touch. Even if it's only for a little while, I want to forget it all. Please..." 

"Tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it," the redhead promised, tone sincere. 

Kaline turned around and cupped his face in her hands, her eyes just as pleading as her voice. "Can you make love to me even though I've been defiled? I'll understand if you don't, but I want to forget him so badly." 

"Nothing could make me not want you," Kurama replied, his eyes not leaving hers. "But are you sure this is what you want? I don't want to hurt you worse than you already are." 

She nodded her head, looking completely serious. "Yes. I'm sure. It's just... I don't want to force you to do any-" 

The kitsune cut off her words by gently pressing a finger to her lips. "Trust me on this, you wouldn't be forcing me." He drew her body completely against his, showing her exactly what he meant. 

Her eyes went wide for a moment, a reaction that he had expected. What he hadn't expected was her kissing him a moment later. Even though it was a rather bold move, her actions were still hesitant and timid, almost like she feared being pushed away at the last second. 

Kurama gently kissed her back, trying to reassure her without the use of words. He made all his movements slow and deliberate, keeping his hands in check and waiting a few minutes before he deepened the kiss. After a moment, he drew away. 

"If you want me to stop at any time, all you have to do is give the word and I'll do it," the redhead told her softly, holding her face in his hands. _ 'It would kill me, but I would do it.' _

"I... Thank you." 

With that behind them, Kurama proceeded to do what Kaline wanted, being as gentle as he knew how. The fair brunette seemed to appreciate it, and she responded like a flower opening to the sun. 

  


* * *

Hiei was just about ready to nod off when he felt Cassie stir in his arms. She released his shirt that she had been clutching the entire night, her eyes opening up to stare into his. Unsure of what to say, the brunette remained silent. It was the fire demon who said something first. 

"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly. 

Cassie sighed. "Bad." 

"Can you think of anything that will make you feel better?" He was willing to do anything if it would help. 

She blinked, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Chocolate and The Matrix," she answered after a few moments. 

"The Matrix?" Hiei repeated, sounding confused. 

"It's my absolute favorite movie of all time," the girl explained. He nodded his head in understanding as Cassie began to crawl out of bed. 

The fire demon pointed at her--his--clothing as he came up to her. "What are you going to do about that?" 

She fingered the black material for a moment. "Do you want it back?" Cassie sounded sad, so he just shook his head. 

"No. If you want, you can keep it." Hiei picked up his sword, quickly noticing her questioning look. "If I'm going to protect you, then I need to keep this close." 

"Oh." The brunette felt a little safer when he said that. It reminded her of his promise. 

Tentatively taking his hand, she led him to the kitchen where she grabbed a few bags of chocolate and a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream. The next stop was the living room, where she set everything down on the coffee table and stuck the video into the VCR. 

Curling up on the couch with Hiei, she settled down to watch the movie. The koorime placed one arm around Cassie's waist, using his other to eat the ice-cream straight from the container with a spoon. The teal-eyed female occupied herself with working her way through a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter cups. 

Over half-way through the movie, Cassie reached out to grab another piece of chocolate, accidentally missing the bag and sticking her hand in the carton of ice-cream that Hiei had set down on the low table. She gave a small gasp, surprised by the cold, wet sensation. 

Without thinking, Hiei brought her hand to his mouth and began licking off all of the ice-cream like a child would lick a popsicle. Half-way through the act, he realized exactly what he was doing. Eyes wide, he turned to look at Cassie, unsure of how she would react. 

Cassie appeared content, her blue-green eyes partially closed. "You can continue if you want," she whispered, her voice barely audible. _ 'I missed this with Hiei. Even with all that the evil demon did to me, I still know the difference between Hiei touching me and HIM touching me. I want things to go back to the way they were before all this mess happened.' _

A half smile on his face, he finished cleaning her hand; however, he just gently wrapped his arms around her after that, earning a sad look from the girl. "You still might be injured," he reminded her, giving a small mental sigh. "It'll take you a few days to heal." 

"If you say so." She accepted that answer; however, she still sounded a little disappointed. _'Does he not want to touch me?' _

"When you're better," Hiei stated, placing a kiss on the top of her head. 

"You promise?" Cassie looked at him hopefully. 

The koorime nodded. "Yes." 

  


* * *

When Kaline and Kurama finished, the kitsune shut off the water and grabbed two towels, one for himself and one for Kaline. She dried off and began to dress herself, throwing on socks, semi-tight black pants, and the Chinese tunic that she had been wearing earlier. 

The redhead looked at her for a moment, about to say something, but he thought better of it and just shrugged. "If I'm going to be staying at your place for a while, then I definitely need to retrieve some items from my house... like clothes." 

Kaline turned her gaze to him, fear in her eyes. She thought he was going to leave her alone, and that was one of the last things she wanted. It ranked right up there will seeing the evil, green demon again. 

"You'll be coming with," he assured her. "It's kind of hard to protect you when you're far away." 

She gave a small sigh of relief. "My car's at Cassie's house," the blue-gray eyed girl stated. 

"Then we'll just have to go get it, won't we?" Kurama responded simply as he pulled on his clothes. "And we can check up on Cassie and Hiei at the same time." 

"Hiei is at Cassie's house?" Kaline appeared a little surprised. 

"I would assume so. When I last saw her at Reikai, she seemed to be as attached to him as you are to me." He gave her a small comforting smile. "Would you mind leaving now?" 

She shook her head, her wet hair swaying slightly with the movement. "No. That's fine with me, I guess." 

"I'm going to carry you," he stated, receiving the okay from her before he picked her up. Giving her a small smile, he headed off to Cassie's house, the girl in his arms. 

  


* * *

Kurama set Kaline down on Cassie's front porch, keeping one arm around her waist as he knocked on the door. Within a minute, the door opened, revealing Hiei standing there. The fire demon stared at them in surprise for a moment before saying anything. 

"Yes? What do you two want?" the black-haired man asked. 

Kaline whimpered, the sound barely audible, and scooted closer to Kurama. The fire demon scared her, even though she knew him and understood that he wouldn't hurt her. The mere presence of another male besides Kurama frightened her, and there wasn't a thing she could tell herself that could possibly change that fact. 

"We're here to get Kaline's car," Kurama stated. 

Hiei nodded in understanding. 

"Hey, Kaline," a timid voice said from somewhere behind Hiei. Cassie stood a few feet behind the koorime, a weak smile of greeting on her face. Her eyes were wary and constantly flickering over to glance at the redhead's face. 

"Hey, Cassie," the blue-gray eyed girl called back. 

"You left some of your things here, as well as your car keys," the dark brunette reminded her friend. "I'll go grab them." Then, she left. 

Trying to fill in the silence, the fire demon turned to look at Kaline. "How are you doing?" he asked. 

She squeaked and ran behind Kurama, using him as a barrier. "Not so good," she responded after a moment, her voice filled with fear. The kitsune tried his best to comfort her, but he found it hard to reach her in the position she was in. 

_'She use to be so innocent, sweet, and fearless,' _Hiei thought, giving a sad sigh. _ 'And now she's scared of even me.' _

"It's alright," Kurama whispered to the girl, hoping that the comforting words would help her calm down. She only clutched at the hem of his pants and shook her head. She would have held onto the back of his shirt, but he wasn't wearing one. The only shirt that he had at the moment was on her. 

Cassie returned right then with a suitcase and a set of keys in her hand. Standing behind the black-haired male, she handed both objects to him. Hiei just frowned and gave them to the fox demon, knowing better than to even try and give anything to the fair brunette. 

"Can we leave now?" Kaline inquired, refusing to move out from behind her protector. 

The redhead nodded. "If that is what you wish." He gave his friend and Cassie a soft smile. "I hope you are doing better the next time I see you." The dark brunette nodded in acknowledgment, expression still wary. 

"Bye." 

"See-ya." 

Cassie and Kaline said the two farewells at the same time, smiling at each other afterwards. 

Then, Kurama led the light brunette down to the garage, opened the large door, put the suitcase in the trunk of the vehicle, and pulled the car out. He knew that the girl was in no condition to drive, so he didn't even offer. She seemed to know it too, because she immediately went for the passenger's seat. Soon, Kurama was driving to his apartment. 

  


* * *

Twenty minutes later, the kitsune pulled up in front of his apartment complex, turning to Kaline once he turned off the engine. "Do you want to go in with me, or would you rather stay out here?" 

"I'll go in with you," she replied immediately, fear entering her eyes at the thought of being alone. 

"Are you sure? We might run into some other people," he informed her. 

"I understand," Kaline told him. "But I don't want to stay out here without you. Please, don't make me." 

Kurama gave a small sigh. "Okay. C'mon. I'll just make the trip quick." He climbed out of the car, and the brunette did the same, relief flooding her system. She followed him into the building, down a few halls, up three flights of stairs, and into a room at the end of a hallway. 

The apartment was sparsely decorated. The walls were white; the carpet, beige. All of the furniture pieces were neutral colors, and nothing hung on the walls. The only thing that pointed to the fact that the redhead did indeed live in the area was all the plants that were spread out in selective places. 

When she went into the bedroom, she found another dull room. The only color was the dark green in the bedspread. 

Kaline sat down at the foot of the bed, eyes following Kurama's every move as he pulled out two large suitcases and began to pack. Every time he left the room, she followed him like a shadow, unwilling to be left alone. 

Once he was done packing the two suitcases, the kitsune turned to the girl. "Would you like me to pack some of my shirts for you?" he inquired, gesturing towards the tunic she had on. 

The brunette nodded her head. "Yes, please. I would like that a lot." After receiving that answer, he pulled out a third suitcase and packed it as well. 

"There. I believe we're ready to go now," Kurama informed her. "I should have everything." 

Kaline grabbed one suitcase while the redhead took the other two. Then, they went back to the car, shoved the luggage into the trunk, and returned to Kaline's house. 


	21. Chapter TwentyOneEpilogue

For Love of a "Pet" 

Chapter Twenty-One/Epilogue

After a week of living with Kaline, Kurama brought the rest of his possessions to her house and let someone else have his apartment. He knew that he wasn't going to go anywhere any time soon, and he understood that he could always find a new apartment--they were easy to come by. Besides, he didn't want to pay for an apartment when he wasn't even using it. 

Kaline had raised no objections to him moving in; actually, she had welcomed the news. The female had already taken to constantly wearing his shirts, claiming that they smelled like him. The kitsune didn't argue, knowing that it was most likely the truth. Even if it wasn't, his clothes offered her a small amount of comfort, and he could see that in her eyes. 

Cassie improved much more quickly than Kaline did, going into town with Hiei a month after Loki's death. She didn't quite care for other people, but she could put up with them. Luckily, neither of the girls had to deal with the police. Koenma fabricated some story, fed it to the authorities, and somehow covered up everything that had happened. No one really knew what the story was, and no one cared. 

Kaline, unfortunately, had more trouble with her recovery. After two months, Hiei and Cassie were the only two she could stand talking to besides Kurama. She was just so scared of people, especially men, which meant that it was a good thing Cassie worked with her. The day after the dark brunette went back to work, Kaline did as well. She didn't have to leave her house to do her job, so it was alright. When the fall months came around, Kurama went back to college, spending part of his mornings and afternoons in classes. Kaline didn't mind too much. After all, she had new animals to take care of. 

Six months after the Loki incident, Cassie was pretty much back to normal and even mated to Hiei. Of course, Kaline insisted on buying them a present, just like one was supposed to do when a friend married someone. She even went to the mall to find them something, Kurama by her side the entire time. The fair brunette ended up purchasing a DVD player and ice-cream maker for them. Actually, Kurama suggested the ice-cream maker, and Kaline went along with it. 

Needless to say, Hiei was rather pleased with the "wedding" gifts, which made Kaline think her frightening trip to the mall had been well worth it. Cassie even liked them, although she thought the DVD player was a little lacking in the creativity department, but she wasn't going to argue. She had always wanted a DVD player. 

About a year later, Kaline was as close to her old self as she was going to become. She no longer feared people, she was cheery again, and she painted beautiful scenes of wild animals instead of the more violent pictures she had painted after her ordeal with the evil demon. Kurama never did move out, and she didn't mind that at all. She enjoyed living with him, even though they weren't married except by demon style (which Cassie had celebrated by buying them gifts). He was a great guy who had saved and then helped her through a rough time in her life.

On the one year anniversary of the first day they had met, Kaline was at home alone. Kurama was off somewhere; she just didn't know exactly where. She didn't mind though. He would be home eventually so she could give him his surprise--a few books he had been desperately trying to find for the past month. The brunette had found them at a small bookstore near the downtown area and had immediately bought all three books, knowing how much her lover/demon husband had wanted them. 

So, the wrapped books were sitting on the kitchen counter, just waiting for Kurama to return so they could be unwrapped. Fortunately, the kitsune arrived home about an hour before supper, finding Kaline sitting on the living room couch, taking care of a sick female red fox. A few of the animal's babies romped nearby, playing with a rubber mouse. He waited until she was done with her patient before setting a bag down on her lap. 

"Kurama, what is this?" Kaline asked as he set the gift bag in her lap. 

"Look inside," he ordered her, voice gentle. 

Blinking in surprise, she stared at him for a few moment before she finally moved to do as he wanted. The girl reached inside the bag through all the tissue paper, her hands meeting something soft. A puzzled expression on her face, she pulled the object out. In her hands, she held a stuffed animal. It was a sliver-colored fox, and it looked exactly like Kurama had in his fox form.

"Awwww... nanto kawaii! Thank you so much!" Kaline hugged it to her chest before looking back at the kitsune. "Now, why did you get me this?"

He sat down next to her. "Well, since it is my fault you lost your last pet, I decided to do my best to replace it."

The female gave him a tender smile, setting the stuffed fox on the couch beside her. Then, she climbed into Kurama's lap, straddling him. She ran her fingers through his hair, and then she began to pet him, eyes sparkling playfully. When she spoke again, her tone was a teasing one.

"Trust me, you're all the pet I could ever want," Kaline whispered softly in his ear. "And I have a present for you, too. I'll go get it now, if you don't mind."

Kurama looked at her, curiosity on his face. He couldn't figure out what the girl could have possible bought him. He had hidden her present at the college in his locker, and he couldn't think of a single place inside the house where she could have stored anything without him noticing. The girl was obviously clever. "I don't mind." "Good." She kissed him on the nose and climbed off his lap, going to the kitchen. She quickly returned with a rather large present wrapped in green paper with red rose designs. "Here you go." A smile on her face, the female placed it in Kurama's hands.

Intrigued, the kitsune unwrapped the gift, his eyes lighting up when he saw what she had bought him. It was amazing, especially considering he hadn't been able to find any one of the three books anywhere. "This is impressive," he commented, giving her a thank you kiss. "You truly must have searched long and hard to find these. I can't think of a better gift." 

"I can," Kaline replied, grinning.

Kurama returned the smile. "Hold that thought while I put the books on my shelf. I'll be right back." 

She just giggled._ 'He's going to be so surprised when I tell him what his other present is.' _

The redhead quickly returned from his workroom, a fox pups hanging all over him. One had latched on to his right pant's leg with his teeth, while another had claimed a place on top of the demon's head. A third was inside his pocket, having a fight with a handkerchief.

"Completely my master's project is going to be rather difficult if the little monsters refuse to leave it alone," Kurama commented, depositing the small foxes on the ground by their mother, who was sleeping. 

Kaline smiled and stood up, a strange look in her eyes. "What? Don't you like baby foxes?" She placed a hand gently over her stomach. "Because I have a feeling someone might be a little hurt if you don't." 

The kitsune's jaw dropped, but he soon switched to hugging Kaline, a huge smile on his face. "When did you find out?" 

"Last week," she replied, hugging him back. "And I think I know what I would possibly like to name him."

Kurama looked at her, a curious expression on his face. "And what would you like to name him?" 

Kaline kissed him before she answered. 

"Youko."

  


* * *

  


* * *

CotA: Well, that's it. The end. Sorry to disappoint everyone, but I really didn't have anything left to cover, and I've hit a serious writer's block. With both of my muses on vacation, you guys are left with just what I can come up with. Sorry. The good news is, I started two new YYH fics before Sess-chan and Sigmund left for Hawaii. I have a fic called Bring Me to Life, which one of my readers has actually read and given me the go-ahead on, and the other is the prequel to the Time series. I don't even have one chapter in it completed yet, but I'm hoping to get more written in it soon. I should be posting one or both of them in a few weeks. Great, huh? Well, since I got all that out of my system, time for the review responses.

sam: I felt bad for the girls too. Poor things went through so much.

kittykat89: everything's fixed now.

Yanou: I'll make sure to send you my material. I think I'll be posting the fic you read within a few weeks.

Sei-Sei: Thanks.

Kurama321: Sorry this chapter wasn't very long. I think the a few of the previous ones have made up for that.

Enchanted Faerie: There wasn't a problem with your comp. Just for future reference, it's almost always ff.net.

Cattibrie393: Breaks from Calc are important. I'm in calc too. Evil class...

Midnight: I think I fixed everything.

Luraia Soul: I will keep up the good work. Promise.

Lady Rose Jade: Well, here's the chappie you wanted.

PWA: Yes, another chapter, and the last one, too.

AnneMarieh: I did okay on my 'Time' series, but I prefer this story as well. The storyline is better, at least in my opinion as a writer. Plus, this story was more fun to write in a sense. 


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